Resource use and plaster manufacture in the arid steppe: Micromorphological analysis of floor sequences at the final PPNB site of Qdeir (Syria)

The widespread use and production of plaster during the Neolithic transition in SW Asia represents a significant technological advancement and development in the material culture of early sedentary farming communities. The Final Pre-Pottery Neolithic case-study of Qdeir (7100 − 5720 cal BCE), located in the Syrian steppe, provides new evidence of resource management and technology in floor plaster manufacture. It also sheds light on the impact of the environment and activities on floor surfaces as indicators of continuity and change in space use and related socio-cultural implications within mobile pastoralist communities in a distinctive environment. Micromorphological analysis on archive samples reveals distinct floor plasters indicating different production processes and material sourcing, including carbonate sediments and gypsum, and the incorporation of animal dung as fuel to produce gypsum plaster. Dung was likely a major fuel source given the scarcity of wood and the community’s reliance on pastoralism, underscoring the adaptive strategies employed by the community to overcome ecological constraints. Variability in floor sequences across occupation phases at Qdeir suggests differences in concepts of space and seasonal settlement strategies. The interplay between mud and gypsum plaster floors reflects changing technological and socio-cultural practices, possibly related to varying needs, sustainable management of fuel sources and material availability over time. This study highlights the importance of micromorphology in providing high-resolution contextual information on the nature, manufacturing processes, and post-depositional alterations of plasters and contributes to the broader understanding of the technological, ecological, and social dynamics that shaped Neolithic communities.