ARCHITECTURAL AND RESIDENTIAL COMPLEXES OF ANCIENT SETTLEMENTS OF THE STEPPE AND FOREST-STEPPE VOLGA AND DON REGIONS

<jats:p>The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution of housing construction in the steppe and forest-steppe Volga and Don regions during the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods based on archaeological data. The methodology includes the study and systematization of published materials on key sites, planimetry analysis and design features of housing structures, and their interpretation in the context of social and economic conditions. The results demonstrate a transition from temporary sites (Sukhaya Mechetka) to more complex and permanent dwellings during the Late Paleolithic (Kostenki), Mesolithic (Russko-Lugovskaya, Kaby-Kop-rynskaya sites), and Neolithic (Orlovka, Varfolomeevs-kaya, Dzhangar, Elshanskaya culture sites, etc.). A conclusion is drawn about the gradual increase in the complexity of housing structures, reflecting the transition to a sedentary lifestyle and the development of more complex forms of social organization.</jats:p>