Maidanets'ke

Exploring the Trypillia 'mega-sites,' Maidanets'ke investigates the social dynamics and structural complexities of these ancient settlements.

The book Maidanets'ke explores the Trypillia 'mega-sites' located north of the Black Sea, which date back to around 4000 BCE. These remarkable settlements spanned over 320 hectares and housed as many as 11,000 residents in up to 3,000 buildings. At the end of the 5th millennium BCE, some of the largest settlements of the time emerged in the forest steppe region between the Southern Bug and Dnieper rivers. These sites were situated just tens of kilometers apart and are believed to have coexisted, showcasing the social and architectural advancements of the Trypillia culture.

The book delves into several intriguing questions about these extensive settlements: How did thousands of people come together in such large numbers? How long did they inhabit these sites, and were they the first towns to emerge before the development of urban centers in Mesopotamia? To answer these questions, Maidanets'ke presents findings from investigations at the Maidanets'ke 'mega-site,' which is considered one of the most complex and well-studied sites of this phenomenon.

The research includes new excavations by international teams that examine the settlement's history, structure, and regional context. Detailed presentations of excavation results, such as pottery production facilities, causewayed enclosures, and various dwellings, are included. An extensive radiocarbon dating program has revealed multiple phases of continuous occupation between 3990-3640 cal BCE, allowing for a detailed reconstruction of the demographic landscape of a 'mega-site' for the first time. Additionally, targeted geophysical surveys indicate that exceptional non-inhabited buildings and mega-structures are common across both larger and smaller settlements, challenging previous notions of urban development in the Trypillia settlement system.