Gelonus

Identified with the Bilsk hillfort near Poltava, Ukraine, this is probably the largest Early Iron Age settlement in Eastern Europe at 5,000 hectares -- five times larger than ancient Babylon. Herodotus described Gelonus as the capital of the Gelonians, former Greeks who spoke a mixed Scythian-Greek tongue. The site dates to the 8th-3rd centuries BC, with ramparts extending 35km enclosing three fortified settlements. Excavations have yielded gold discs depicting Dionysus, Greek amphorae, cowry shells from the Indian Ocean, and a gold seal-ring. The city served as a major trade hub between Scythian settlements and Greek colonies.