The Role of Environmental Factors in the Spatial Distribution of the Chalcolithic Settlements in Northern Region of the Cultural Basin of Halilrood Case Study: Esfandagheh Plain in Jiroft and Halilrood Tributaries (Ghadrood-Khaneh of Rabor)

Environmental factors have played a decisive and important role in the formation and spatial distribution of human settlements during the prehistoric era. The study of the human-environment interactions is one of the main approaches in modern archeology. The Halilrood cultural basin is one of the geographical areas with three different climates of "cold mountainous and temperate", "warm" and "hot and dry", and this climatic multiplicity led to specific patterns in the location and development of permanent and temporary settlements. Prehistoric archaeological studies in this area have focused more on Bronze Age settlements; While chalcolithic settlements have received less attention. Meanwhile, the study of settlements of the chalcolithic Age plays an important role in understanding pre-historic cultures before entering the Bronze Age in the cultural basin of Halilrood. The main question is, what is the role of environmental factors on the spatial distribution of chalcolithic settlements in the northern part of the Halilrood basin? The research method is descriptive-analytical, and the research has been done based on archaeological studies and environmental factors such as altitude, direction, and gradient of the land slope, water resources, and geological features. These data were analyzed by GIS associated with 47 chalcolithic settlements. Results show that the altitude, elevation, and access to water resources have the most role in the location and formation of the settlements. Finally, it can state that there has been a good interaction between the environment and human cultures in the northern part of the cultural basin of Halilrood during the prehistoric era.