The Sofalin Mound is located north of the city of Pishva, on natural hills formed by early Holocene deposits (alluvial sediments older than 4,000 years). Systematic and continuous excavations at the Sofalin Mound have been carried out over the past several years in seven seasons as part of broader archaeological investigations in the Varamin–Pishva Plain. Cultural materials recovered from the Sofalin Mound in the north-central Iranian Plateau have significantly enhanced our understanding of the proto-literate period, dated between 3500 and 2800 BCE, within the cultural sphere of the north-central plateau of Iran. During the sixth and seventh excavation seasons at the Sofalin site, architectural spaces were uncovered in Trench 20. These spaces were documented as featuring cobblestone floors, mudbrick platforms, and rectilinear architectural layouts. Based on ceramic assemblages (plain and painted), clay sealings, and fragmented clay tablets, occupation during different phases of theEarly Elamite cultural period was identified. This research focuses on the technical and laboratory investigation of Early Elamite mudbrick architectural remains from the Sofalin Mound using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, complemented by chemical studies aimed at proposing appropriate conservation strategies. The primary objective of this study is to achieve a semi-quantitative structural characterization of mudbricks from this period in order to enhance our understanding of their mineralogical composition. Such knowledge contributes to the development of effective conservation approaches for the Sofalin Mound as well as other contemporaneous mudbrick archaeological sites.
