The paper deals with the evolution of dwellings in the late Stone Age – early Metal Age. Ancient people were more dependent on the natural environment than modern people, and had to adjust to its features. The siting of old settlements and other objects (dwellings, hearths) depended on the characteristics of the palaeolandscape, and followed certain, as yet insufficiently known patterns. Identification of potential links between the alteration of the landscape and the evolution of dwellings is an intriguing scientific task that requires more research to be ultimately solved. The study used materials from two yet unpublished archaeological sites with dwellings – Kudamguba VII and Sheltozero XII, which date closely but are situated far apart.