Human Settlements and the Role of Natural Disasters: A Case Study of Landslide at Tepe Mehr Ali

Natural events and disasters always have a devastating impact on human settlements and incur economic and social effects on societies by destroying buildings and infrastructures. One of these destructive phenomenons is landslide that could damage communities, meadows and forests, communication lines, and monuments extensively in many parts of the globe, especially in mountainous countries such as Iran. Some information is currently available about the morphological cause and effects of some apparent cases. However, the destructive effects of this phenomenon on ancient settlements have not adequately been mentioned. This study examines an ancient landslide by combining data from two seasons of archaeological excavations of Tepe Mehr Ali, located in Fars province, and related interdisciplinary studies. The results of the excavations, geological evidence and morphology of the site indicate that the southern slope of the mound (about 35 degrees) to Balangan River, represent a landslide event leading to the abandonment of this site for some time during settlement periods.