 The area, stretching from the Dnieper River in the east to the Iron Gate of the Danube in the west (which included the land now in Moldova), had a civilization as highly advanced as anywhere else on Earth during the Neolithic period.The question as to why this area did not remain at the forefront of technological and social development lies in the subsequent history of its geographical location.At the end of the mostly peaceful Neolithic period, this area became a highway for invaders from the east moving into Europe.