1983 in archaeology
The year 1983 in archaeology involved some significant events.
Explorations
- Laconia Survey begins ; continues to 1989.
Excavations
- Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Zhao Mo, Emperor Wen of Nanyue, discovered under Elephant Hill in Guangzhou, China, and excavation by Mai Yinghao and Huang Zhanyue begins.
- Tell Qarqur in Syria, by an American team, is begun.
- Hengistbury Head, by Barry Cunliffe, is continued.
- Boxgrove Quarry, by Mark Roberts of University College London, is begun.
- Excavation of the Sima de los Huesos at the archaeological site of Atapuerca in northern Spain begins.
- Abric Romani cave near Capellades in Catalonia is begun.
Publications
- Christopher Chippindale - Stonehenge Complete.
- R. C. Gaur - Excavations at Atranjikhera: early civilization of the Upper Ganga Basin.
Finds
- May 13 - Lindow Woman discovered at Lindow Moss in north west England by peat cutters.
- First Ayn Ghazal statues found in Jordan.
- Zhangjiashan Han bamboo texts, including the Book on Numbers and Computation, from tomb M247 at Mount Zhangjia in central China.
- Kitora Tomb discovered at Asuka, Nara, Japan.
- 16th century turkey bones in Exeter, England, subsequently identified as from one of the earliest of the birds in Britain.
- Gloucester tabula set in England.
- A multi-tablet collection of literature in the Hurrian language with a Hittite translation is discovered at Hattusa in Turkey.
Events
Deaths
- Joan du Plat Taylor, British pioneer of maritime archaeology