Petrographic Studies of the Historical Bricks of the Chogha Zanbil World Heritage Site

The Chogha Zanbil world heritage site in Khuzestan is one of the most important Elamite sites, constructed using materials such as mud bricks and baked bricks. Today, the use of petrographic methods holds a special place in archaeometric studies of historical materials like bricks and stones. This cost-effective method allows for the extraction of valuable technical information from historical materials. The main objective of this article is to identify the mineralogical characteristics of historical brick samples from Chogha Zanbil through the microscopic examination of their thin sections. The details examined in the bricks include the types of minerals that make up the bricks, texture (including grain size and shape), porosity, types of impurities, and their distribution, all presented in detail along with relevant images. The results of the studies indicate that the apparent color of the bricks from Chogha Zanbil ranges widely from yellow, brown, and red to green. Microscopic examinations not only introduce some physical characteristics of the bricks from Chogha Zanbil but also identify the main minerals present in their structure, which include iron oxide grains, calcite, quartz, chert, gypsum, fine mica grains, and feldspar. Additionally, the conducted studies provide a clear picture of the weathering processes affecting the bricks, particularly under the influence of soluble salts.