الگوی استقراری دشت نیشابور در دوره ساسانی

Thanks to a favourable geographical condition and the passing of the most important road of Asia across the northern part of the Nishapur Plain, this plain has been permanently settled by peoples from Central Asia and the Iranian plateau. According to the historical accounts, the Nishapur Plain was one of the political centres and military bases of northeastern Iran and was considered as one of the most important agricultural and industrial centres of Iran as well. These vital potentials of the Nishapur plain set the stage for increasing population, development of urban and rural settlements, and higher agricultural productivity during the Sasanian period. Archaeological investigations show that the location of the Nishapur Plain's settlements relied on the presence of natural resources and cultural facilities. Water and land, as well as the facilities provided by the city of Nishapur, are the factors that define the settlement pattern of the Nishapur Plain's landscape during the Sasanian period. The spatial order of the settlement pattern of the Nishapur Plain and the pottery tradition of the region indicate that the rural settlements of the plain served as the hinterlands of the city of Nishapur, which relied on the exchange of commodities and services throughout its history.