DETERMINING THE OPTIMAL SETTLEMENT LOCATING OF ANCIENT SITES USING TOPSIS MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MODEL: A CASE STUDY: ESTABLISHMENTS IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF NORTH KHORASAN, NORTHEAST IRAN

Abstract

Human settlements emerged based on natural factors such as adequate water resources and suitable and fertile soil. Other factors such as altitude, slope, and slope direction, the distance to permanent water sources, and communication paths are natural substrates that affect the distribution of human settlements, some of which have a more influential role in the formation and survival of life. This study aims to investigate the status of the Iron Age settlement in the Atrak River Basin. To achieve the objectives of the research and hierarchical analysis of Iron Age sites, seven natural variables, including altitude, slope, slope direction, landing, soil type, distance to rivers, and communication routes that have been effective in establishing settlements, have been selected and by using the statistical methods in the GIS, the TOPSIS hierarchical analysis process, and Excel, and they finally been studied. In terms of statistical analysis, the distance from river, Landuse and the distance to communication routes have been assigned the most ideal values.  The slope degree, above sea level and Slope Direction have the lowest ideal value, respectively. Based on this, the IAMA60 site ranked first, the IAMA49 site ranked second, and the IAMA18 site ranked third in terms of natural indicators. In the lowest rank, IAMA25, IAMA35, and IAMA56 sites are located. In addition to these, the rest of the sites are considered relatively privileged areas.