2017 in archaeology

This page lists major archaeological events of 2017.

Excavations

• May 6-7 - One of the biggest archaeology excavations in Leicester, England is opened to the public over two days. The excavation, overseen by University of Leicester Archaeological Services, uncovered two large roman mosaics and two roman streets.^[1]

Finds

• February – A cave which once held Dead Sea Scrolls is found in the Judean desert by archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The scrolls are believed to have been looted in the 1950s.^[2]
• March – Archaeologists from Haifa University discover the wreck of a 13th-century crusader ship and its cargo in Acre, Israel.^[3]
• March 7 – An ancient Egyptian statue of what is initially thought to be Ramesses II is found in groundwater in Cairo by archaeologists from Egypt and Germany.^[4] The statue is subsequently believed to be of Psamtik I based on inscriptions on the base of the statue.^[5]
• April – Announcement of the earlier accidental discovery at St Mary-at-Lambeth church in London of a vault containing the tombs of five Archbishops of Canterbury dating back to 1610 during refurbishment as a museum.^[6]
• May 31 - Announcement of two Roman town houses, thought to date from the 3rd or 4th century, found under Priory Park, Chichester in England. One of the town houses included a hot room and baths.^[7]
• June - Archaeologists uncover a city dating back to the 10th century as well as a 12th century mosque in Eastern Ethiopia.^[8]

Events

• January 20 – A tetrapylon monument was destroyed and part of a roman amphitheatre was damaged by ISIS in Palmyra.^[9]

Deaths

• January 24 - Peter Woodman, Irish archaeologist (b. 1943)^[10]

See also

• List of years in archaeology

References