jective ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁East ▁S lav ic ▁word ▁for ▁" jack da w ," ▁" hal ka ." ▁This ▁bird ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁town ' s ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Aust ro - H ung arian ▁Empire ▁( since ▁ 1 7 7 2 ). ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁oldest ▁arch ae ological ▁artifact s ▁from ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁Hal ych ▁are ▁class ified ▁to ▁Pale ol ith ic ▁period ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁More ▁system atic ▁find ings ▁from ▁a ▁wide ▁number ▁of ▁arch ae ological ▁cult ures ▁dated ▁from ▁ 5 5 0 0 ▁BC ▁till ▁now ad ays ▁indicate ▁that ▁population ▁of ▁local ▁terra ins ▁was ▁virt ually ▁perpet ual ▁for ▁some ▁past ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁years . ▁According ▁to ▁exc av ated ▁finds , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Hal ych ▁became ▁especially ▁significant ▁from ▁ 8 – 9 ▁c . ▁AD . ▁ ▁Local ▁officials ▁attribute ▁the ▁first ▁written ▁mention ▁of ▁Hal ych ▁to ▁the ▁year ▁ 8 9 6 . ▁The ▁opinion ▁is ▁supported ▁by ▁a ▁record ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁G esta ▁Hung ar orum , ▁which ▁are ▁court ▁chron icles ▁of ▁the ▁Hung arian ▁king ▁Bé la ▁III ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁The ▁chron icles ▁describe ▁a ▁stay ▁of ▁Hung arian ▁tribes ▁led ▁by ▁Prince ▁Ál mos ▁in ▁Hal ych ▁on ▁their ▁way ▁through ▁S lav ic ▁land ▁to ▁P ann onia . ▁The ▁claim ▁is ▁not