Dykyi Sad Archaeological Site

Dykyi Sad ("Wild Garden") is a fortified Bronze Age settlement in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, dated to the Bilozerka culture (c. 1250-925 BC). It is the only steppe settlement of its era found in Ukraine, predating the Greek colony of Olbia by 500 years and persisting for roughly 300 years. Some researchers have proposed the site as the "City of the Cimmerians" mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey, which if confirmed would make Mykolaiv the oldest city in Ukraine referenced in written sources. Archaeological excavations have revealed a highly developed Late Bronze Age culture with fortified structures and evidence of a port city.