Pottery shards in a garden led to the discovery of an unknown Trypillia settlement in Ternopil region

On a privately owned plot of land in Ternopil region, archaeologists discovered a previously unknown settlement of the Trypillia culture. Research began where local residents for years had been finding fragments of ancient pottery.

Lecturer-guide for the publication ZAXID.NET, of the Husyatyn Local History Museum, Taras Vasilyk, spoke about the excavations. So far specialists have uncovered the foundation of one Trypillia dwelling, however, according to him, an entire settlement may be located on this territory.

The garden owners annually found shards of clay pottery with ornamentation characteristic of the Trypillia culture and handed them over to the museum. From these items a separate collection was formed.

Taras Vasilyk explained:

That way we understood we needed to dig deeper. For that we invited specialists.

The archaeologist of the archaeology department of the Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Yana Yakovyshyna, noted that the first stage of the research is currently underway. Specialists are conducting exploratory excavations to outline the boundaries of the site. By preliminary estimate, its area may reach about one hectare.

In the spring of next year, archaeologists plan to fully uncover and study the dwellings. A geomagnetic survey is also planned, which should help determine how many dwellings remain underground.

The ancient settlement was likely located above the Zbruch River. From three sides this territory was protected by cliffs and slopes, and access to it was only from one side.

The Trypillia culture existed in the 6th–3rd millennia BCE on the lands of present-day Ukraine, Moldova and Romania. The Trypillians engaged in agriculture and pottery, created large settlements, and one of the recognizable features of their culture was decorated ceramics.