Remote Geomorphological Analysis as a Tool for Archaeology: The Cases of the Firuzabad Plain (Central-Southern Fars) and the Gulf of Nayband (Persian Gulf), Iran
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Abstract:
Geomorphological investigations in areas of archaeological interest are widely performed to describe their physical context and to understand the influence of landscape evolution on the development of urbanized areas. Fars province is considered the cradle of the Sasanian empire (224 – 651 AD). The configuration of its territory experienced drastic modifications due to geomorphological processes and anthropogenic activity. Despite the wide archaeological documentation about the major archaeological sites of the area, few geomorphological investigations have been carried out and very few paleoenvironmental reconstructions are available. In this study two key areas are investigated: the Firuzabad Plain (central-southern Fars) and the Gulf of Nayband (Persian Gulf). Both areas represented important crossroads in the Sasanian period, being connected by a network of trade routes. The methodology used consists of a detailed topography analysis, with the extraction of the principal surface parameters (elevation, slope, and aspect), and the elaboration of swath profiles and geophysical relief maps. Moreover, a mapping of the river network and the principal artificial waterways and qanat s has been realized in order to identify the main water source areas. The results allow to trace a general paleoenvironmental reconstruction of both areas and highline the key role of remote geomorphological analysis in archaeology.