An archaeological site in Ukraine is attracting ever-increasing international interest as scientists rethink where the world’s earliest cities might have emerged.
New research shows that some of the earliest communities that evolved towards urban planning may have existed in Eastern Europe, perhaps centuries before cities emerged in Mesopotamia.
At the centre of the debate is a large settlement associated with the Cucuteni–Trypillian culture, which scholars call a “mega-site” or “proto-city”.
Discovered over half a century ago near Kyiv, the site is now considered one of the oldest known large-scale human settlements, with a spatial layout that can be described as a deliberate urban plan.
Mesopotamia has been regarded, for decades, as the cradle of civilisation. It was there in the Fertile Crescent, that agriculture blossomed and the earliest cities emerged. Like any ancient city, Uruk became a city-state around 3500 BC and is considered a typical example of early urban planning.
The Trypillian site, however, is starting to make academics question that narrative.
Covering an area of around 320 hectares, the settlement’s design is suggestive: concentric circles, which researchers interpret as indicating deliberate construction rather than spontaneous growth.
At its height, scientists think the settlement may have held as many as 10,000 people, an extremely large number for the Neolithic period. The Cucuteni culture’s origins were discovered earlier in Romania in 1884, but the Ukrainian mega site remained hidden until the 1960s.
Its discovery occurred when a Soviet topographer, Konstantin Shishkin, observed distinctive circular shadows on aerial photographs.
Beginning in 1971, systematic archaeological investigations have been conducted, with large-scale international research since 2010.
Excavations have revealed the remains of clay-and-wood dwellings and distinctive ceramics that date back approximately 6,000 years. The site’s modular design and standardised construction are typically characteristic methods of early urban organisation.
Further studies are required to determine whether the Trypillian mega-sites actually predated Mesopotamian cities.
“Despite the encouraging results, scientists are still holding back from drawing any final conclusions. Further excavations and in-depth analyses are needed to conclusively prove the priority of the Trypillian mega-sites over the Mesopotamian cities,” said a report by FINWAY.
Sources : FINWAY
