Maydanets (Maydanetske) Trypillia Mega-Settlement
Майданецьке · Maidanetske · Maydanetske · Grebenyukov Yar
Chalcolithic (3850–3700 BCE, Cucuteni-Trypillia CI)·Cucuteni-Trypillia (Trypillia C1)·🇺🇦 Cherkasy Oblast, Zvenyhorodka Raion, Maydanets village, Ukraine
About
About Maydanets (Maydanetske) Trypillia Mega-Settlement
One of Europe's largest Chalcolithic settlements, ca. 250 ha with ~1,575 houses and 13 mega-structures in concentric rings, occupied c.3850–3700 BCE (Trypillia CI). Geomagnetic survey 1971–2014 (Shmagliy, Videiko, Chapman, Müller) revealed full ring plan with radial streets, pottery kilns and burnt houses. Together with Talianki (~340 ha) forms the Southern Bug megasite cluster 48°N 31°E illustrating early urbanism without central authority.
Why it mattersOne of Europe's largest Chalcolithic settlements, ca. 250 ha with ~1,575 houses and 13 mega-structures in concentric rings, occupied c.3850–3700 BCE (Trypillia CI). Geomagnetic survey 1971–2014 (Shmag
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Population estimate – 10,000 or seasonal aggregation?
- 02How egalitarian Trypillia organized construction at this scale
Theories
- 01Maydanets as seasonal pilgrimage aggregation of dispersed villages
- 02Mega-structures as integrative assembly houses for clan moieties
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3850 BCE
- Period
- Chalcolithic (3850–3700 BCE, Cucuteni-Trypillia CI)
- Culture
- Cucuteni-Trypillia (Trypillia C1)
- Purpose
- Mega-settlement / proto-city for agricultural surplus communities
- Abandoned
- c. 3600 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 1971 aerial; geomagnetic 1971–2014
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 3850 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1047 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
48.8100° N · 30.7003° E · 169 m · 2 mapped features
Maydanets Mega-Structure 1
mega structureLargest 46×26 m assembly building in central plaza
48.8110° N · 30.7010° EMaydanets Outer House Ring
house ringOuter concentric ring of 600 houses
48.8090° N · 30.6990° E