Recent discoveries in Ukraine suggest that the oldest cities in the world may have existed there, challenging previous historical understanding. This revelation could rewrite the history of early human civilization.
For a long time, historians believed that the first advanced cities developed in Mesopotamia. However, findings in Ukraine point to a different origin story.
Researchers have uncovered massive circular settlements in central Ukraine, believed to belong to the Neolithic Cucuteni-Trypillia people. These cities, some spanning up to 790 acres, could date back to 5500 BC, making them over 7,500 years old.
These ancient cities were first discovered in the 1960s by a Soviet military topographer. Further research, including studies by archaeologist Johannes Muller, has revealed details about the Cucuteni-Trypillia people.
The sites at Maidanetske, Taljanki, and Nebelivka, located in central Ukraine, have yielded the remains of hundreds of "modular" homes. The circular design of these settlements suggests advanced city planning and mathematical understanding.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has hampered further research. However, archaeologists hope to resume studies to learn more about these early cities, which could be the first large cities ever constructed.