What is "stepanivka"

Stepanivka , sometimes transcribed as Stapanovka , in Ukraine, is the site of an ancient settlement dating to 5000 - 4300 B.C. belonging to the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture. The settlement was for the time large, covering an area of 15 hectares. This proto-city are just one of 2440 Cucuteni-Trypillia settlements discovered so far in Moldova and Ukraine. 194 (8%) of these settlements had an area of more than 10 hectares between 5000 - 2700 B.C. and more than 29 settlements had an area in the range 100 - 300 - 450 Hectares.

The site is near the (modern village) Stepanivka ( Perevalskyi Raion) in Luhansk Oblast. On 28 July 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly secured this village from pro-Russian separatists. Starting Mid-April 2014 pro-Russian separatists captured several towns in Luhansk Oblast.