Analysis of the Sassanid Settlement Patterns in the Dehgolan and Qorveh Plains

This study was carried out on the basis of a review of historical sites of the Dehgolan and the Qorveh Plains (Kurdistan province). Considering the role of environmental factors in the formation of the thirty three Sassanid lands, the the current study is an attempt to identify and analyze the pattern of dispersal of Sassanid lands in these two plains. To this end, digitized environmental information of this area, which was collected using geographic information system (GIS), is combined with the data from the survey. Then, to show the relationships between the aforementioned natural factors and the habitats of the Sassanid period, compilation maps and interpretation of these maps were provided. Accordingly, the present paper investigates some of the most important factors in the formation of the Sassanid settlements in the Dehgolan and the Qorveh Plains, including altitude, slope, slope direction, distance from water sources, and distance from roads. The objectives of this study are to draw a settlement map for the Sassanid period of the Dehgolan and the Qorveh Plains and to determine the influence of the environmental factors on the distribution of these sites.This study was carried out on the basis of a review of historical sites of the Dehgolan and the Qorveh Plains (Kurdistan province). Considering the role of environmental factors in the formation of the eleven Sassanid lands, the the current study is an attempt to identify and analyze the pattern of dispersal of Sassanid lands in these two plains. To this end, digitized environmental information of this area, which was collected using geographic information system (GIS), is combined with the data from the survey. Then, to show the relationships between the aforementioned natural factors and the habitats of the Sassanid period, compilation maps and interpretation of these maps were provided.