Detection of the spatial distribution pattern of ancient sites during Gudin III associated with climatic and physiographic factors in Silakhor Basin

Environmental and climatic factors have been found to play a fundamental role in the formation of ancient societies. The Godin III period or the New Bronze Age (1400-2600 BC) has actually been the most important Bronze Age stage in western Iran, which played a key role in the cultural structure and urban formation. The main goal of this research is to reveal the spatial distribution of the Godin III period in relation to climatic conditions and geography of Lorestan province’s Silakhor plain. The results of the spatial autocorrelation analysis indicate that the spatial distribution of Godin III followed a linear cluster pattern, with two climatic factors of precipitation and vegetation being the most important environmental elements. The frequently distributed ancient sites of the Godin III period have a spatial correlation of 0.75 with vegetation in Silakhor Plain showing that more than 75% of the investigated sites fall into the maximum rainfall category. The results dedicated that 90% of the investigated sites are located less than 1 km away from permanent rivers, especially the Silakhor River. Rainfall, vegetation, and surface water sources have created a linear cluster spatial distribution pattern for ancient sites of the Godin III period at the lowest elevation level. The results indicate that the lowest elevation provided the main platform for the Godin III period thus there was the absence of a major threat from the foreign enemy to the mind.