My name is Maria and I am studying Archaeology. My placement involved carrying out a geoarchaeological assessment using boreholes which were takenfrom Bestansur, an archaeological site in Iraq dating to the Neolithic period (7500 BC).

My placement took place within the context of the Central Zagros Archaeological Project (CZAP) which researches the origins and early development of sedentary settlement and domestication of plants and animals in the early Neolithic period (10,000-6500 BC) in the Fertile Crescent (Near East), and is co-directed by my supervisors Professor Roger Matthews and Dr Wendy Matthews.

The main aims of my research were to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the nature of the sub-surface stratigraphy of the site, and to evaluate the potential of the sedimentary sequences for providing a reconstruction of the environmental history of the site and its environs.

In order to achieve these aims, I had to record the lithostratigraphy of each of the 12 boreholes which included describing the sediment, dividing it into different layers, and recording down the sediment colour, the presence of any inclusions (artefact or bones) or traces of burned clay or charcoal.

This would help to clarify the nature of the sub-surface stratigraphy across the site, and provide a preliminary reconstruction of the sedimentary history.

To enhance the results of the lithostratigraphic descriptions, three boreholes were selected for organic matter and calcium carbonate content analysis. Furthermore, a particle size analysis was carried out to find out the percentage of sand, silt and clay present in the sediments in order to see changes in sediment composition over time.

The part which I enjoyed the most was learning how to use Adobe Illustrator to make illustrations that would reflect my lithostratigraphic results.

The next step was to prepare microscope slides for the pollen grain, spores, phytolith and diatom assessment. This would help in providing a detailed reconstruction of the botanical and hydrological history of the site.

I was taught how to identify different microfossils (pollen grains, spores, phytoliths and diatoms) and what information they can provide about the environment and human activities. For instance, the presence of certain spores in the samples could indicate animal dung which does provide evidence for human occupation.

Finally, the last step of my placement consisted of combining all of the results to see the bigger picture which was for me the most interesting part of my placement. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle where you have to place every piece together to see the overall picture.

Throughout my placement, I was taught everything and helped by the QUEST team.

Overall, I really enjoyed my placement. It was a great experience where I learned new skills, met other people who had similar interests, and got a chance to experience a new aspect of archaeology.

Maria Rabbani