Ghabr-e Keykha River Basin in the Prehistoric Period, Settlements and Population Fluctuations in the Central Part of Semirom County from the Paleolithic Period to the Banesh Period

The investigation and study of the plains and valleys between the mountains of South Zagros in Iran from a geographical and cultural point of view leads to a deeper understanding of how the archaeological cultures of those regions were formed and expanded; The southern parts of Zagros have their own geographical and cultural areas, while the northern regions include Abadeh, Eghlid, and Semirom; The Ghabr-e Keykha river basins and Semirom region are significant for the study of cultural interactions and areas of expansion of the archaeological cultures of Fars province because of their location at the intersection of the archaeological cultures of South Zagros. Therefore, we started the studies to investigate the prehistoric settlements and demographic fluctuations of the Ghabr-e Keykha river basin and to identify the oldest habitation in the central part of Semirom. The current research was based on a season of the archaeological survey with a habitat analysis approach in the central part of Semirom city (Figure: 1); After preparing the required maps, we surveyed the target area, and random sampling was done. Due to the low environmental capabilities, the sites were not in the dimensions and size of settlements in the central parts of Fars. It has been considered from sources of water and quality soil and living in the closest distance to rivers and reliable sources of water; It is interesting to note that, unlike in the central parts of Fars, there is no evidence of a sharp decrease in the number of enclosures and a change in the lifestyle from a sedentary farmer to a nomadism, and we are witnessing the size of Sites and the increase in population during the Banesh period.