THE USE OF SOIL MICROMORPHOLOGY TO REEXAMINE THE ACCURACY OF PLASTER FLOOR FIELD INTERPRETATIONS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXTS

Thin, light-colored stratigraphic units encountered in archaeological contexts in Eastern Mediterranean geographic locations are frequently assumed to represent the sedimentological signatures of plaster-floor sequences. While such assumptions are often accurate, recent data demonstrate that caution must be exercised. This study utilizes thin-section petrography to examine a series of undisturbed sediment samples representing Late Bronze and Early Iron Age settlements from the southern coast of Israel. Microscopic analysis of the units demonstrates that the physical properties one would expect for lime plaster are often absent. Soil micromorphology clearly demonstrates that a significant number of the light-colored strata are composed exclusively of dense phytolith concentrations. When viewed with the naked eye in field contexts, light refracted through these large accumulations of translucent opaline bodies produce a hue and color value nearly identical to that of plaster floors. This analysis has significant implications for interpretations proffered. What was originally a dense accumulation of discarded plant materials indicates a notably different cultural activity than that expected if a plaster floor had been constructed as a component of an architectural feature.