Preliminary micromorphological observations Preliminary micromorphological observations of the types of floors, impact of activities on floors and deposit types are listed in Table A1. This sequence is quite unlike street deposits at later sites in the Near East, which are rich in organic remains and building debris, including Abu Salabikh, in Iraq, and Tell Brak, in Syria. These deposits, however, require further sampling and chemical analysis before the presence of animal stabling or penning can be confirmed. This sequence of dung was sealed by thick packing and a possible coarsely plastered surface. The floor plasters sampled within buildings were kept remarkably clean.
Some surfaces appear to have been truncated before subsequent plaster flooring was laid.
Thin lenses of red ochre occur on a series of floors in the possible ritual building in Area 4O, in association with thin lenses of ash. These floors include calcined material, some of which is calcined bone. Regrettably, no microscopic traces of activities occur on top of these floors, in the samples examined, to indicate use of this building. Post-depositional alterations of these deposits are often restricted in area and clearly definable. The principal post-depositional alterations observed include physical disturbance by burrowing insects and modern roots, organic staining associated with bone fragments and pseudomorphic voids of plants that have since decayed, and sparse reprecipitation of salts.