Cities without Kings: Humanity's Prehistory on Ukrainian Soil — with David Wengrow

January 28, 2026
A talk delves into Ukraine's deep past, when massive “megasites” flourished on the Ukrainian steppe, challenging the idea that “civilization” requires kings.

What can the deep past of Ukrainian lands reveal about the global story of humanity?

Six thousand years ago, "mega-sites" flourished in what is now central Ukraine — but can these be considered the world’s first cities?

How were they organized without central authorities, and how do they challenge everything we thought we knew about early social life?

  • Guest: David Wengrow, a renowned British archaeologist and Professor of Comparative Archaeology at University College London. He is the co-author, alongside David Graeber, of the international bestseller "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity".
  • Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine.

Thinking in Dark Times is produced by UkraineWorld and brought to you by Internews Ukraine. It is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation and Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO.

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This podcast was made with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It's content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.