中文摘要：

通过对历史文献中的聚落信息进行搜集整理,建立了河湟谷地聚落地名数据库,重建了明代1373-1596年的聚落格局时空演变过程,将其分为建制扩张期（1373-1411年）和防御扩增期（1480-1596年）。从空间分布上看,河流冲、洪积平原是聚落分布最密集的区域,且湟水流域聚落多于黄河流域。而空间演变过程则表现出冲、洪积平原密度增大并向高海拔地区扩展的特点。聚落的建立和分布受多重因素的影响,区域的自然地理条件、明代建制、军事防御、屯田和驿道的分布均产生重要作用,并在不同社会背景下产生了不同的聚落类型。

英文摘要：

Through collecting and processing the settlement information in historical documents, the settlement database for Hehuang Valley was established, and temporal and spatial changes of settlements in Hehuang Valley from 1373 to 1596 were reconstructed, which could be divided into formed expansion stage （1373 - 1411 ） and defense expansion stage （1480 - 1596） . At the view of the spatial distribution, alluvialdiluvial plains were the most intensive areas where settlements were distributed and the settlements in the Huangshui River basin were more than that in the Yellow River basin. The evolution process showed that the density of settlements in alluvial - diluvial plains increased and expanded to the high altitude areas. The establishment and distribution of settlements were influenced by many factors which included the regional natural geographical conditions, establishing system of Ming dynasty, military defense, reclaiming that, the different types of settlements were created. wasteland and the distribution of the post roads. Based on that, the different types of settlements were created.