1980 in archaeology
| 1780s . 1790s in archaeology . 1800 |
| . Archaeology timeline |
Excavations
- Aëtos Hill, Menelaion Ridge, Laconia, Greece, takes place under H. W. Catling.
- San Vincenzo al Volturno by the British School of Archaeology at Rome begin.
- Ain Dara temple, Syria; continues until 1985.
- Excavations begin at Dryslwyn Castle in Wales under the direction of Chris Caple; the dig lasts until 1995 and the results written up in a monograph published by the Society for Medieval Archaeology in 2007
Finds
- 17 February - Derrynaflan Chalice in the south of Ireland.
- 28 March - Talpiot Tomb in Jerusalem.
- August - Wreck of the Breadalbane in the Northwest Passage.
- Wreck of on the Goodwin Sands.
- Wreck of the paddle steamer Eric Nordevall in Vättern in Sweden.
- Wreck of American Great Lakes whaleback barge 115 in Lake Superior.
- Frieze at Aphrodisias in Anatolia showing Claudius subjugating Britannia.
Publications
- W. A. McCutcheon - The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland. Belfast: HMSO..
Events
- 19 December - Chaco Canyon National Monument is renamed Chaco Culture National Historical Park with 13,000 acres added. The Chaco Culture Archaeological Protection Site program is created to protect Chacoan sites.
Deaths
- January 2 - Rhys Carpenter, American Classical art historian
- August 24 - André Parrot, French archaeologist of the Near East
- September 8
- * Willard Libby, American physical chemist, key developer of radiocarbon dating
- * Keith Muckelroy, British maritime archaeologist, in diving accident
- November 16 - Don Crabtree, American experimental archaeologist