Bolshaya Elista 1 temporary camp. Theory and practice of studying of the settlements of ancient herders in the desert-steppe areas

The paper deals with the development of methods to searching settlements of ancient herders in the steppe areas of Russia South. The first results of the new approach already enabled the archaeologists to identify places where the occupation layer in one of the temporary camps discovered in the Rostov province, i.e. Bolshaya Elista 1, was well preserved. The paper demonstrates that in desert steppe conditions the temporary camp occupation layer may preserve only near the rear seam of the slopes where deluvial materials accumulated.