Abstract
<jats:p>Changes in the ecosystem may be an important factor influencing the evolution of ancient communities. Wetland sites are among the most valuable “natural archives” for ancient history and environmental change reconstruction. Multidisciplinary research at the Serteya II site, located in the Dnieper-Dvina basin, allowed revealing the sequence of historical and natural events from 8,000 to 3,000 BC based on “natural archives”. The paleolandscape was reconstructed for the vicinity of this site, which existed in a changing environment. Deep-water lakes were replaced by shallow water bodies with a coastal wetland line. By the second half of 4,000 BC, lake and river landscapes had formed, when pile dwellings appeared. The choice of habitat was determined by the availability of various resources and the productivity of the ecological niche, which ultimately shaped economic strategies in different periods of time. The minimal anthropogenic impact of hunter-gatherer communities on the environment could be due to both the small size of ancient communities and a rational resource management system. Global climate changes in the Holocene (Bond events) are only partially reflected in the palaeoclimatic history of the Serteya micro-region.</jats:p>