In his recently published dissertation, René Ohlrau presents the development and decline of Maidanets'ke, which represents a Trypillia 'mega-site' in Central Ukraine" that dates to the end of the 5th millennium BCE. Maidanets’ke is the most complex example of these enormous sites and is also among the best investigated ones.
Based on new excavations by an international team, the author examines the history and structure of this settlement and its regional context. Results on pottery kilns, the ditch work and several houses are presented in detail. Due to extensive radiocarbon dating and modelling from different parts of the settlement, a phase model for the development of a 'mega-site' could be generated for the first time. Furthermore, calculations on population size and development provide information on the mega-site phenomenon.
Targeted geophysical surveys in the main distribution area of mega-sites verify a uniform structure of small and large settlements. The results on population density and settlement structure are used to reassess the urban character of Trypillia mega-sites.

René Ohlrau completed his PhD thesis in the Graduate School ‘Human Development in Landscapes’ (GSC 208). In addition to his position within the Graduate School, he was also supported by Graduate School research funds.

Ohlrau, R. 2020. Maidanets’ke: Development and decline of a Trypillia mega-site in Central Ukraine, Scales of Transformation in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies 07. Leiden: Sidestone Press. ISBN: 9789088908484

To the publisher Sidestone Press