This study aims to analyze the dynamics of change in settlement models from the Roman, late antique, and Byzantine periods, focusing on how these transformations influenced the formation of Islamic societies in the rural landscapes of western Sicily. The study is centered around the territory of Corleone in the Sicani Mountains (central-western Sicily). This region, strategically located between the significant cities of Palermo on the Tyrrhenian Sea and Agrigento on the Strait of Sicily, has been pivotal in the communication network spanning from the Roman era to the Middle Ages and beyond. The area has been subject to extensive surveys and excavations, revealing diverse dynamics of continuity, resilience, and innovation in settlement patterns from the Roman to the Islamic periods. Beyond presenting the results of archaeological fieldwork, this study employs GIS-based spatial and statistical analyses and utilizes a range of topographic (elevation, slope, aspect, topographic position index (TPI), and distance to water sources) and ecological factors (vegetation series). These analyses aim to assess the evolving relationships and site positioning within the territory over time. Combining archaeological data with topographic and ecological landscape analysis, this integrated approach elucidates the complex transition dynamics from the Roman settlement system to the Islamic age’s landscape formation in western Sicily’s rural areas. The study thereby contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between historical developments and environmental factors in shaping rural settlement patterns.

中文翻译：

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西卡尼山脉（西西里岛中西部）从罗马时期到伊斯兰时期农村聚落模式的连续性、弹性和变化

本研究旨在分析罗马时期、古代晚期和拜占庭时期聚落模式的动态变化，重点关注这些转变如何影响西西里岛西部乡村景观中伊斯兰社会的形成。该研究以西卡尼山脉（西西里岛中西部）的柯里昂领土为中心。该地区战略性地位于第勒尼安海的巴勒莫和西西里海峡的阿格里真托等重要城市之间，在从罗马时代到中世纪及以后的通信网络中一直发挥着关键作用。该地区经过了广泛的调查和挖掘，揭示了从罗马时期到伊斯兰时期聚居模式的连续性、弹性和创新的多种动态。除了呈现考古现场工作的结果外，本研究还采用基于 GIS 的空间和统计分析，并利用一系列地形（海拔、坡度、坡向、地形位置指数 (TPI) 和距水源的距离）和生态因素（植被系列） ）。这些分析旨在评估随着时间的推移，区域内不断变化的关系和站点定位。这种综合方法将考古数据与地形和生态景观分析相结合，阐明了西西里岛西部农村地区从罗马聚居系统到伊斯兰时代景观形成的复杂过渡动态。因此，该研究有助于更深入地了解历史发展与环境因素在塑造农村聚居模式方面之间错综复杂的相互作用。