Bilyi kamin: Site structure of the biggest trypillia culture settlement of the Southern Buh-Dnister interfluve

У статті розглянуто планувальну структуру поселення Білий Камінь чечельницької локальної групи етапу СІ трипільської культури. Пам’ятка площею у майже 100 га є найбільшою в ареалі культурного комплексу Кукутень—Трипілля на захід від р. Південний Буг. Публікації передували польові дослідження, проведені у 2018 р. Геофізичною зйомкою зафіксовано понад 800 аномалій на площі 40,6 га, інтерпретовані як археологічні об’єктиSo far research effort regarding Cucuteni—Trypillia mega-sites was to a large extent focussed on the region in the east of the Southern Buh. In contrast, the Southern Buh-Dnister interfluve stands for long time in the shadow of its eastern neighbour. To improve this situation and to gain a better understanding of the macro-regional variability within the Cucuteni—Trypillia cultural complex, in spring 2018 the exploration of the large CTCC site Bilyi Kamin was started by an international team of researchers from Kiel University (Germany) and Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine) which is the largest settlement in this region. Magnetometry in total size of 40.6 ha have been performed using the MAGNETO® MX V3 Survey System of the company SENSYS Sensorik & Systemtechnologie GmbH Bad Saarow (Germany). During our survey large areas in the south, north and near the centre of the site were measured. Based on these data the total extension of the site can be estimated to approximately 97 ha

On the chronology of the Sabatynivka group of the Cucuteni-Trypillia cultural complex (Central Ukraine)

The paper treats the dating of the Sabatynivka group of Cucuteni-Trypillia. The authors compared the sets of radiocarbon dates, which were obtained for the sites of the aspect, analyzed the relative chronology of the Sabatynivka group, and checked their correspondence with the dating of the contemporaneous cultural aspects. This approach helped to establish the synchronism of the Sabatynivka group with the Skelia phase of Seredny Stog culture, Gumelniţa A2 and Cucuteni A3-A4. The sites of the group existed during 44-42 centuries BCE

Trypillia Megasites West of the River Southern Buh: Preliminary Results of Bilyi Kamin Site Investigation in 2018

In Bilyi Kamin, Ukraine, a Trypillia megasite of the Chechelnyk group west of the River Southern Buh was systematically investigated by high-resolution magnetometry, targeted excavations and radiometric dating. These new data make it possible to discuss afresh the significance of these large settlements and their relation to the already much longer intensively investigated megasites of the Southern Buh-Dnipro interfluve. The research confirmed that the settlement Bilyi Kamin had an extraordinary size of almost 100ha and undoubtedly was of a carefully planned character

Trypillia megasites west of the River Southern Buh: Preliminary results of Bilyi Kamin site investigation in 2018

In Bilyi Kamin, Ukraine, a Trypillia megasite of the Chechelnyk group west of the River Southern Buh was systematically investigated by high-resolution magnetometry, targeted excavations and radiometric dating. These new data make it possible to discuss afresh the significance of these large settlements and their relation to the already much longer intensively investigated megasites of the Southern Buh-Dnipro interfluve. The research confirmed that the settlement Bilyi Kamin had an extraordinary size of almost 100 ha and undoubtedly was of a carefully planned character. In order to realise a settlement of this size in the hilly landscape, enormous height differences within the settlement were accepted. Apparently, the intention to place three monumental integrative buildings on a promontory, widely visible from afar, played a decisive role. The study includes a detailed examination of the architecture and find materials of a dwelling. Compared to settlements of the Southern Buh-Dnipro interfluve, these investigations reveal, among other things, differences in waste disposal and similarities in architectural features. In the wider context, the newly obtained dating results from Bilyi Kamin seem to indicate that the peak of population concentration in Trypillia giant settlements in the region west of the River Southern Buh was already passed around 3800/3750 BCE. By contrast, this agglomeration process continued in the Southern Buh-Dnipro interfluve until about 3650 BCE. As possible reasons for these different trajectories differences in social organisation are taken into account

The Origins of Trypillia Megasites

The Trypillia megasites of Ukraine are the largest known settlements in 4th millennium BC Europe and possibly the world. With the largest reaching 320 ha in size, megasites pose a serious question about the origins of such massive agglomerations. Most current solutions assume maximum occupation, with all houses occupied at the same time, and target defence against other agglomerations as the cause of their formation. However, recent alternative views of megasites posit smaller long-term occupations or seasonal assembly places, creating a settlement rather than military perspective on origins. Shukurov et al. (2015)'s model of Trypillia arable land-use demonstrates that subsistence stresses begin when site size exceeded 35 ha. Over half of the sites dated to the Trypillia BI stage—the stage before the first megasites—were larger than 35 ha, suggesting that some form of buffering involving exchange of goods for food was in operation. There were two settlement responses to buffering:- clustering of sites with enhanced inter-site exchange networks and the creation of megasites. The trend to increased site clustering can be seen from Phase BI to CI, coeval with the emergence of megasites. We can therefore re-focus the issue of origins on why create megasites in site clusters. In this article, we discuss the two strategies in terms of informal network analysis and suggest reasons why, in some cases, megasites developed in certain site clusters. Finally, we consider the question of whether Trypillia megasites can be considered as “cities.