Two Trypillia Settlements in Ternopil Region Added to UNESCO Tentative List

Two significant archaeological sites associated with the Trypillia culture in Ukraine's Ternopil region have been officially added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The sites include the Verteba Cave and a settlement near the village of Hlybochok in the Chortkiv district. Mykhailo Sokhatskyi, an archaeologist and director of the Borshchiv Regional Museum of Local Lore, confirmed the development. He highlighted the unique nature of the Verteba Cave, where early agricultural communities continuously inhabited an underground cavity for 750–800 years, leaving substantial material remains. Both sites are over 5,000 years old and offer critical insights into the domestic, agricultural, and spiritual lives of the first Trypillia settlers. Inclusion in the tentative list signifies global recognition of this ancient culture and grants the sites special protection status and heightened public attention. This addition complements the previously listed transnational Precucuteni–Ariuşd–Cucuteni–Trypillia cultural complex, which encompasses numerous sites across Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova. The next steps involve rigorous documentation and on-site inspections as part of the broader UNESCO heritage listing process.