Analysis of the Role of Environmental Factors in the Spatial Distribution of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic Sites of Ardal County, Chaharmahal VA Bakhtiari Province

Western parts of the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiyari Province (Ardal County) due to containing high mountains, deep valleys and small intermountain plains as well as the placement in the path of the nomads have long been of interest to humans. The nomadic communities of the mountainous regions of Chaharmahal VA Bakhtiyari culturally interacted with the lowland areas of Fars and Khuzestan's plain during history. Considering the subsistence pattern of the region, understanding the characteristics of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, their settlement pattern, the impact of environment on the formation and distribution of sites and determining the type of nomads are the issues which will try to address them through this research. To investigate the effect of environmental factors on the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements such as altitude, slope, aspect, distance from river, distance from communication paths, and ground structure and the existence of faults in the region were evaluated by statistical methods. To find out the possible relationships between the natural factors and settlement patterns we used digital maps as the basis for the GIS analyses. In general, two types of settlement pattern are identified: permanent and nomadic.