International Journal of Archaeology

| Peer-Reviewed |

Settlement Pattern Study of Chalcolithic Sites in the Gamasb River Basin of Central Zagros, Western Iran

Received: 04 May 2014    Accepted: 20 May 2014    Published: 10 June 2014
Views:       Downloads:

Share This Article

Abstract

The Gamasb River Basin survey project carried out from 2004 to 2006 in the Central Zagros West of Iran was aimed at obtaining the occurrence of Chalcolithic sites across the area. In discussion of archaeological landscape, human activities have generally been regarded as external forces to either landscape changes or changes in archaeological material structures. An important aspect of any approach to natural and archaeological resource problems lies with the ability to represent spatially those resources and elements of the environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a suitable base for such a representation and one which establishes the necessary analytical tool. The main goal of present paper is to make a contribution toward application of GIS to map the distributions of archaeological materials on the cultural landscape as well as examining the role of GIS for spatial analyses. Through the use of statistics based on findings from a case study in Iran this study found that the location of archaeological sites exhibit non-random tendencies or patterning throughout a landscape. This patterning is a result of past people’s tendency to interact with the landscape in “favorable” settings. Changes in land use patterns diminish the archaeological site distribution patterns and consequently the archaeological landscape values.

DOI 10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11
Published in International Journal of Archaeology (Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2014)
Page(s) 1-5
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Chalcolithic Iran, Gamasb River Basin, Central Zagros, Environmental Variables, Spatial Analysis

References
[1] Allen, K.M.S., Green S.W. and Zubrow, E.B.W (eds.) 1990. Interpreting Space: GIS and Archaeology. London: Taylor and Francis.
[2] Brandt, R., B.J. Groenewoudt and K.L. Kvamme. 1992. An Ex-periment in Archaeological Site Location: Modeling in the Netherlands Using GIS Techniques. World Archaeology 24:268-282.
[3] Conolly, J. and M. Lake, 2006. Geographical Information System in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[4] Dalla Bona, L. 1994. Methodological Considerations. Cultural Heritage ResourcelPredictive Modeling Project. Vol. 4. Centre for Archaeological Resource Prediction, Lakehead University. Thunder Bay Ontar-io.
[5] Ebert, D. 2004. Predictive Modeling and the Ecology of Hunter-Gatherers of the Boreal Forest of Manitoba. Oxford: BAR International Series 1221.
[6] Kohler, T.A. 1988. Predictive Locational Modeling: History and Current Practice. In: W. J. Judge and L, Sebastian, (eds.), Quan-tifying the Present and Predicting the Past: Theory, Method, and Application of Archaeological Predictive Modeling. U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 1119-59.
[7] Kvamme, K.L. 1997. Bringing the Camps Together: GIS and ED. Archaeological Computing Newsletter 47:1-5.
[8] Kvamme, K.L. 1992. A Predictive Site Location Model on the High Plains: an Example with a Independent Test. Plains Anthropologist 37: 19-40.
[9] Lock, G. and Harris, T. 2006. Enhancing Predictive Archaeological Modeling: Integrating Location, Landscape, and Culture. In: Mark, W. Mehrer and Konnie, L. Wescott (eds.), GIS and Archaeological Site Location Modeling. London: Taylor and Francis, 41-62.
[10] Maschner, H. D. G. (ed.), 1996. New Methods, Old Problems: Geographic Information Systems in Modern Archaeological Research. Occasional Paper No. 23, Center for Archaeological Investigations. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
[11] Niknami, K.A. and Askarpour, V. 2013. A GIS Modeling of Prehistoric Site Distribution in the Sarfirouzabad Plain of Kermanshah, Northwestern Iran, International Journal of Heritage in the Digital Era 2 (3): 343-359.
[12] Niknami, K.A. and M.R. Saeedi Harsini, 2006. A (GIS)-Based Predictive Mapping to Locate Prehistoric Site Locations in the Gamasb River Basin, Central Zagros, Iran. In: S. Campana and M. Forte (eds.), From Space to Place. BAR International Series, S1568, 249-255.
[13] Niknami, K. A. 2004. Application of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) for the Study of Prehistoric Archaeological Site Locations: Case Study from Garrangu River Basin, Northwestern, Iran: a Preliminary Report. Proceedings of the International Conference on Remote Sensing Archaeology Beijing China, 208-215.
[14] Parker, S.C. 1985. Predictive Modeling of Site Settlement System Using Multivariate Logistics. In: C. Carr (ed.), For Concordance in Archaeological Analysis: Bridging Data Structure Quantitative Technique and Theory. Kansas City: Westport Publisher. 173-207.
[15] Thompson, G.F. 1995. A Message to the Reader, In: G.F. Thopson (ed.), Land-scape in America. Austin: University of Texas Press, xi-xiv.
[16] Tuan, Y. F. 1977. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
[17] Warren, R.E. and Asch, D.L. 2000. A Predictive Model of Archaeological Site Loca-tion in the Eastern Prairie Peninsula. In: K.L. Westcott and R.J. Brandon, (eds.), Practical Applica-tion of GIS for Archaeologists: a Predictive Modeling Kit. London: Taylor and Francis, 5-32.
Author Information
  • SAMT, A Humanistic Publication Centre, Tehran, Al Ahmad Street, Tehran, Iran

Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Mohammad Reza Saeedi Harsini. (2014). Settlement Pattern Study of Chalcolithic Sites in the Gamasb River Basin of Central Zagros, Western Iran. International Journal of Archaeology, 2(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Mohammad Reza Saeedi Harsini. Settlement Pattern Study of Chalcolithic Sites in the Gamasb River Basin of Central Zagros, Western Iran. Int. J. Archaeol. 2014, 2(1), 1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Mohammad Reza Saeedi Harsini. Settlement Pattern Study of Chalcolithic Sites in the Gamasb River Basin of Central Zagros, Western Iran. Int J Archaeol. 2014;2(1):1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11,
      author = {Mohammad Reza Saeedi Harsini},
      title = {Settlement Pattern Study of Chalcolithic Sites in the Gamasb River Basin of Central Zagros, Western Iran},
      journal = {International Journal of Archaeology},
      volume = {2},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-5},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ija.20140201.11},
      abstract = {The Gamasb River Basin survey project carried out from 2004 to 2006 in the Central Zagros West of Iran was aimed at obtaining the occurrence of Chalcolithic sites across the area. In discussion of archaeological landscape, human activities have generally been regarded as external forces to either landscape changes or changes in archaeological material structures. An important aspect of any approach to natural and archaeological resource problems lies with the ability to represent spatially those resources and elements of the environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a suitable base for such a representation and one which establishes the necessary analytical tool. The main goal of present paper is to make a contribution toward application of GIS to map the distributions of archaeological materials on the cultural landscape as well as examining the role of GIS for spatial analyses. Through the use of statistics based on findings from a case study in Iran this study found that the location of archaeological sites exhibit non-random tendencies or patterning throughout a landscape. This patterning is a result of past people’s tendency to interact with the landscape in “favorable” settings. Changes in land use patterns diminish the archaeological site distribution patterns and consequently the archaeological landscape values.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Settlement Pattern Study of Chalcolithic Sites in the Gamasb River Basin of Central Zagros, Western Iran
    AU  - Mohammad Reza Saeedi Harsini
    Y1  - 2014/06/10
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11
    T2  - International Journal of Archaeology
    JF  - International Journal of Archaeology
    JO  - International Journal of Archaeology
    SP  - 1
    EP  - 5
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7595
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20140201.11
    AB  - The Gamasb River Basin survey project carried out from 2004 to 2006 in the Central Zagros West of Iran was aimed at obtaining the occurrence of Chalcolithic sites across the area. In discussion of archaeological landscape, human activities have generally been regarded as external forces to either landscape changes or changes in archaeological material structures. An important aspect of any approach to natural and archaeological resource problems lies with the ability to represent spatially those resources and elements of the environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a suitable base for such a representation and one which establishes the necessary analytical tool. The main goal of present paper is to make a contribution toward application of GIS to map the distributions of archaeological materials on the cultural landscape as well as examining the role of GIS for spatial analyses. Through the use of statistics based on findings from a case study in Iran this study found that the location of archaeological sites exhibit non-random tendencies or patterning throughout a landscape. This patterning is a result of past people’s tendency to interact with the landscape in “favorable” settings. Changes in land use patterns diminish the archaeological site distribution patterns and consequently the archaeological landscape values.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

  • Sections