The year 1877 in archaeology involved some significant events.

Explorations

*Artist and photographer

William Henry Jackson William Henry Jackson (April 4, 1843 – June 30, 1942) was an American photographer, Civil War veteran, painter, and an explorer famous for his images of the American West. He was a great-great nephew of Samuel Wilson, the progenitor of Ame ...

participates in the

Hayden Survey Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden (September 7, 1829 – December 22, 1887) was an American geologist noted for his pioneering surveying expeditions of the Rocky Mountains in the late 19th century. He was also a physician who served with the Union Ar ...

of the Western United States, producing maps of Chaco Canyon, but no photographs due to technical problems.

Excavations

* French diplomat and archaeologist

Ernest de Sarzec Ernest Choquin de Sarzec (1832–1901) was a French archaeologist, to whom is attributed the discovery of the civilization of ancient Sumer. He was in the French diplomatic service; on being transferred to Basra in 1872 as a vice-consul, he bec ...

begins excavation at Girsu in Mesopotamia (which he believes to be Lagash). * City architect

Charles Edward Davis Charles Edward Davis (1827–1902) was an English architect and antiquary. Life Born near Bath, Somerset on 29 August 1827, he was son of Edward Davis, an architect there and pupil of Sir John Soane, and his wife Dorothy Walker, widow of Captain ...

begins extended excavation and reconstruction at the

Roman Baths (Bath) The Roman Baths are well-preserved ''thermae'' in the city of Bath, Somerset, England. A temple was constructed on the site between 60–70AD in the first few decades of Roman Britain. Its presence led to the development of the small Roman urb ...

in England. * George Smith excavates

Later Stone Age The Later Stone Age (LSA) is a period in African prehistory that follows the Middle Stone Age. The Later Stone Age is associated with the advent of modern human behavior in Africa, although definitions of this concept and means of studying it ar ...

tools in caves near Smithfield, Free State.

Finds

* May 8 - ''

Hermes and the Infant Dionysus ''Hermes and the Infant Dionysus'', also known as the ''Hermes of Praxiteles'' or the ''Hermes of Olympia'' is an ancient Greek sculpture of Hermes and the infant Dionysus discovered in 1877 in the ruins of the Temple of Hera, Olympia, in Greece. ...

'' (attributed to the sculptor Praxiteles, 4th century BC) is first uncovered at the site of the

Temple of Hera, Olympia The Temple of Hera, or Heraion, is an ancient Archaic Greek temple at Olympia, Greece, that was dedicated to Hera, queen of the Greek gods. It was the oldest temple at Olympia and one of the most venerable in all Greece. It was originally a j ...

, Greece, by German archaeologist Ernst Curtius; it is later exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

Publications

* Canon William Greenwell - ''British Barrows: a record of the examination of sepulchral mounds in various parts of England; together with description of figures of skulls, general remarks on prehistoric crania'', and an appendix by George Rolleston. * John Postlethwaite - ''Mines and Mining in the Lake District''. *

Ephraim G. Squier Ephraim George Squier (June 17, 1821 – April 17, 1888), usually cited as E. G. Squier, was an American archaeologist, history writer, painter and newspaper editor. Biography Squier was born in Bethlehem, New York, the son of a minister, Joel S ...

- ''Peru: Incidents of Travel and Exploration in the Land of the Incas''.

Awards

Miscellaneous

* May 17 -

Witcham Gravel helmet The Witcham Gravel helmet is a Roman auxiliary cavalry helmet from the first century AD. Only the decorative copper alloy casing remains; an iron core originally fit under the casing, but has now corroded away. The cap, neck guard, and cheek ...

, found, probably earlier this decade, in Cambridgeshire, England, is first displayed, to the Society of Antiquaries of London by Augustus Wollaston Franks.

Births

* June 16 - Karel Absolon, Czech archaeologist (d.

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

) * July 29 -

Edward Thurlow Leeds Edward Thurlow Leeds (29 July 1877 – 17 August 1955) was an English archaeologist and museum curator. He was Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum from 1928 to 1945. Biography He was born in Eyebury, Peterborough on 29 July 1877, the second son of ...

, English archaeologist of the Anglo-Saxons (d.

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

)

Deaths

* October 17 - Johann Carl Fuhlrott, discoverer of Neanderthal Man (b.

1803 Events * January 1 – The first edition of Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière's ''Almanach des gourmands'', the first guide to restaurant cooking, is published in Paris. * January 5 – William Symington demonstrates his ...

)

References

{{reflist Archaeology Archaeology by year Archaeology Archaeology