Archaeological excavations are underway on the Dykyi Sad site, which are free from construction. A settlement dating back to 1250–900 BC with a highly developed culture of the
Late Bronze Age was found. This is the only steppe settlement of that era found in Ukraine. The settlement originated 500 years before the foundation of the Greek city-state of
Pontic Olbia and existed for 300 years. Dykyi Sad is the only surviving monument of the Black Sea port city from the time of the legendary
Troy and the
Trojan War. On February 22, 2016, the Mykolaiv City Council published a petition to create an open-air park-museum, the Wild Garden settlement. Researchers have proposed that the site is the "City of the
Cimmerians" mentioned by
Homer in the
Odyssey. Though the
geography of the Odyssey is a contentious field, if true, this would make Mykolaiv the oldest city in Ukraine that is mentioned in written sources. == Gallery ==