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.
- Saqqara excavations under Bryan Emery begin.
- 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.
- 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.
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