1964 in archaeology

The year 1964 in archaeology involved some significant events.

Excavations

• Seibal Harvard University project begins under direction of Gordon R. Willey and A. Ledyard Smith.
• Et-Tell excavations under Joseph Callaway begin (continue through 1970).
• Saqqara excavations under Bryan Emery begin (continue through 1971).
• Pool of Bethesda excavations.
• Snaketown by Emil Haury, with assistance from E. B. Sayles, Erik K. Reed, and Irwin and Julian Hayden.
• Ebla excavations by the University of Rome La Sapienza directed by Paolo Matthiae begin.
• Excavations in Hane, Marquesas Islands, by Yosihiko H. Sinoto begin.
• Tomb of Princess Yongtai excavated in Qianling Mausoleum, China.
• The Missione Archaeologica Italiana a Malta begins excavations at Ras il-Wardija, Gozo, Malta (continues through 1967).
• First full-scale excavation of Roman villa at Oplontis in Italy begins.
• Archaeological site of Atapuerca in Spain directed by Francisco Jordá Cerdá.
• Argentine surveyor and archaeologist Carlos J. Gradin and his team begins the most profound research on Cueva de las Manos in a 30-year-long study of the caves and their art.
• Excavation of Tel Arad by Yohanan Aharoni (continues until 1967).

Finds

• Getty Victorious Youth in the sea off Fano.
• The second trove of Qabala treasures in Azerbaijan.
• Mummies on Pichu Pichu in the Peruvian Andes.
• Teeth from Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy, identified in 2011 as the oldest known remains of European early modern humans.
• Pyrgi Tablets at the site of ancient Pyrgi in Lazio, Italy.
• A buckle depicting a man holding a spear in each hand is discovered at Finglesham Anglo-Saxon cemetery during excavations led by Sonia Chadwick Hawkes.

Events

• May 31 – The Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites is adopted by the Second International Congress of Architects and Specialists of Historic Buildings.
• November 30 – Western Australian Museum Act Amendment Act provides for protection of pre-1900 wrecks in local waters.
• Project to move the Abu Simbel temples to prevent their inundation by the Aswan High Dam begins.

Publications

• L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp - Ancient Ruins and Archaeology.
• Journal of Industrial Archaeology begins publication.

Awards

• Ian Richmond knighted.

Births

• February – Duan Qingbo, Chinese archaeologist (died 2019)

Deaths

References