Marie Vandenbeusch, University of Geneva The way houses are
built in this region is in some ways timeless, particularly the
roofs. Modern ceilings can show how ancient roofs, which we have
to reconstruct from small fragments, were built. While it is
easy to look at modern houses in villages near the site, it is
more complicated when it concerns the ancient houses. No roof
survives in place at Amara West: only the walls and floors
remain. But not everything has disappeared. Impressions on mud,
though perhaps unimpressive at first sight are very helpful as
they record the different layers and materials used to build the
roofs. The wood and other plant material disappeared long ago,
eaten by termites. But the shapes impressed in the mud roofs
tell us that large beams and poles were used. The roof of our
dig house is built in the same way, though metal beams
(sometimes from the abandoned railway line) are now preferred.
Layers of grass, reeds and palm fronds, sometimes tied into
bundles, were also widely used, al