The site of a settlement is where the settlement has been built.
There are a number of factors that were important when locating a settlement:
- Protection - good views from a hilltop give you warning if you are about to be attacked.
- Water Supply - Plenty of water is needed for drinking, cooking and washing. Water might come from a river, spring or well.
- A Risk of Flooding - Sites must not flood or be marshy.
- Proximity to a River - Needs to be easy to cross either on foot at a ford or by a bridge. Rivers can also aid transport, provide power and a source of food.
- Building Materials - Needed wood or stone. Useful to be near a wood or a rocky hillside.
- Supply of Fuel - Wood needed for fires for warmth and to cook on.
- Shelter - In the northern hemisphere a south facing slope will have more sun and will be protected from the cold north wind.
- Flat Land - Easier to build on, for growing crops and traveling to other towns.
- Economic Activities - Located near to a means of making money.
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