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Parthian Settlement Patterns in the Central Zagros Region of Western Iran

Received: 16 May 2013     Published: 10 June 2013
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Abstract

The study area in this research lies in the region of the Central Zagros, western Iran. An archaeological survey was conducted and approximately 340 Parthian (ca 250 B.C.225A.D.) archaeological sites were discovered and recorded. The aim of the project was to develop a set of simple procedures that could be widely used to build basic models of site location and settlement patterns of Parthian sites. Two methodological issues are addressed in this paper: (1) technical aspects regarding basic methods of data collection and GISbased processing and analysis; and (2) modeling archaeological site distribution patterns using the available archaeological and environmental data. In order to explore further the location of archaeological sites, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was developed combining all information from the recent survey of the area. The incorporation of this information into a GIS resulted in a digital archive of the survey area that enables the user to simultaneously visualize and analyze all data within their original spatial contexts making it possible to develop a more comprehensive investigation into the sites. The digital database was developed to synthesize information on site type, size, dating, and function. These data are subsequently used to address issues concerning changing settlement patterns in the study area. We suggest that the settlement patterns are, to a large extent, directly shaped by wideranging cultural needs which offer a strategic point for functional interpretation of the Parthian culture.

Published in International Journal of Archaeology (Volume 1, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12
Page(s) 6-12
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), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Parthian, Central Zagros, Iran, Settlement Patterns, GIS, Digital Archive

References
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  • APA Style

    Yaghoub Mohammadifar, Kamal Aldin Niknami. (2013). Parthian Settlement Patterns in the Central Zagros Region of Western Iran. International Journal of Archaeology, 1(1), 6-12. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12

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    ACS Style

    Yaghoub Mohammadifar; Kamal Aldin Niknami. Parthian Settlement Patterns in the Central Zagros Region of Western Iran. Int. J. Archaeol. 2013, 1(1), 6-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12

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    AMA Style

    Yaghoub Mohammadifar, Kamal Aldin Niknami. Parthian Settlement Patterns in the Central Zagros Region of Western Iran. Int J Archaeol. 2013;1(1):6-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12,
      author = {Yaghoub Mohammadifar and Kamal Aldin Niknami},
      title = {Parthian Settlement Patterns in the Central Zagros Region of Western Iran},
      journal = {International Journal of Archaeology},
      volume = {1},
      number = {1},
      pages = {6-12},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ija.20130101.12},
      abstract = {The study area in this research lies in the region of the Central Zagros, western Iran. An archaeological survey was conducted and approximately 340 Parthian (ca 250 B.C.225A.D.) archaeological sites were discovered and recorded. The aim of the project was to develop a set of simple procedures that could be widely used to build basic models of site location and settlement patterns of Parthian sites. Two methodological issues are addressed in this paper: (1) technical aspects regarding basic methods of data collection and GISbased processing and analysis; and (2) modeling archaeological site distribution patterns using the available archaeological and environmental data. In order to explore further the location of archaeological sites, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was developed combining all information from the recent survey of the area. The incorporation of this information into a GIS resulted in a digital archive of the survey area that enables the user to simultaneously visualize and analyze all data within their original spatial contexts making it possible to develop a more comprehensive investigation into the sites. The digital database was developed to synthesize information on site type, size, dating, and function. These data are subsequently used to address issues concerning changing settlement patterns in the study area. We suggest that the settlement patterns are, to a large extent, directly shaped by wideranging cultural needs which offer a strategic point for functional interpretation of the Parthian culture.},
     year = {2013}
    }
    

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    T1  - Parthian Settlement Patterns in the Central Zagros Region of Western Iran
    AU  - Yaghoub Mohammadifar
    AU  - Kamal Aldin Niknami
    Y1  - 2013/06/10
    PY  - 2013
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12
    T2  - International Journal of Archaeology
    JF  - International Journal of Archaeology
    JO  - International Journal of Archaeology
    SP  - 6
    EP  - 12
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7595
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ija.20130101.12
    AB  - The study area in this research lies in the region of the Central Zagros, western Iran. An archaeological survey was conducted and approximately 340 Parthian (ca 250 B.C.225A.D.) archaeological sites were discovered and recorded. The aim of the project was to develop a set of simple procedures that could be widely used to build basic models of site location and settlement patterns of Parthian sites. Two methodological issues are addressed in this paper: (1) technical aspects regarding basic methods of data collection and GISbased processing and analysis; and (2) modeling archaeological site distribution patterns using the available archaeological and environmental data. In order to explore further the location of archaeological sites, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was developed combining all information from the recent survey of the area. The incorporation of this information into a GIS resulted in a digital archive of the survey area that enables the user to simultaneously visualize and analyze all data within their original spatial contexts making it possible to develop a more comprehensive investigation into the sites. The digital database was developed to synthesize information on site type, size, dating, and function. These data are subsequently used to address issues concerning changing settlement patterns in the study area. We suggest that the settlement patterns are, to a large extent, directly shaped by wideranging cultural needs which offer a strategic point for functional interpretation of the Parthian culture.
    VL  - 1
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Bu. Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

  • University of Tehran, Iran

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