(Ancient settlement of Idnakar, IX-XIII centuries)* Basic approaches to complex geophysical research The most commonly used methods for geophysical research of archaeological sites are electrical, magnetic, and seismic surveys. In recent years, the possibilities of archeogeophysics have significantly expanded due to the use of ground-penetrating radars. However, none of these methods is universal. This is due to the fact that they differ in the registered physical fields. Consequently, the effectiveness of their application largely depends on the physical properties of the search objects and the surrounding soil, their contrast and size, as well as the geological structure of the area. In addition, the measurement results are significantly affected by interfering factors of various origins - heterogeneity of the physical properties of soils, a high level of natural and man-made interference [Nikitin and Khmelevskoy, 2004, p. 236]. A significant role is played by the characteristics of the measuring equipment used (for example, speed, noise immunity, data storage, multielectrode). Each of these methods is effective in identifying only certain types of archaeological sites (Stanyukovich, 1997; Geophysical survey..., 1995). For example, ground-penetrating radar can confidently capture large-sized objects that are quite contrasting in their physical properties with the environment, such as stone structures, brickwork, columns, pavements, basements and cellars. When searching for local archaeological sites of small size, as well as when identifying closely located objects, this method is less effective. In addition, ground-penetrating radar has significant limitations on the depth of research and is effective only when working on dry sandy soils. Magnetic exploration allows you to record the remains of furnaces, forges, burnt structures, as well as traces of blacksmithing. Less confidently identified archaeological sites such as walls, roads, trenches, wooden structures, ... Read more