Below are notable events in archaeology that occurred in

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

Explorations

Matthew Stirling Matthew Williams Stirling (August 28, 1896 – January 23, 1975) was an American ethnologist, archaeologist and later an administrator at several scientific institutions in the field. He is best known for his discoveries relating to the Olmec ...

first visits the Tres Zapotes and San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán sites.

Excavations

* The Iron Age farmstead site at

Little Woodbury Little Woodbury is the name of an Iron Age archaeological site in Britford parish, near Salisbury in the English county of Wiltshire. The site lies about south of the centre of Salisbury and north of Odstock village. It was partially excavated ...

, Wiltshire, England, by

Gerhard Bersu Gerhard Bersu (26 September 1889 – 19 November 1964) was a German archaeologist who excavated widely across Europe. He was forced into exile from Germany in 1937 due to anti-Semitic laws in pre-war Nazi Germany. He was interned on the Isle ...

for the Prehistoric Society using open area excavation techniques (continues to 1939; published 1940). *

Llantwit Major Roman Villa The Llantwit Major Roman Villa was a Roman L-shaped courtyard villa located at what is now Caermead, immediately north of the town of Llantwit Major in the Welsh county of South Glamorgan. The villa was first discovered in 1887 and was fully ex ...

in Wales, by V. E. Nash-Williams (continues to 1948). * The Neolithic settlement of Rinyo on Rousay in

Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

, Scotland, by

V. Gordon Childe Vere Gordon Childe (14 April 189219 October 1957) was an Australian archaeologist who specialised in the study of European prehistory. He spent most of his life in the United Kingdom, working as an academic for the University of Edinburgh and th ...

(resumed 1946).

Publications

T. D. Kendrick Sir Thomas Downing Kendrick (1 April 1895 – 2 November 1979) was a British archaeologist and art historian. Life Early life Kendrick was born on 1 April 1895 in Handsworth, a suburb of Birmingham, England to Fanny Susan (nee Downing, bor ...

- ''Anglo-Saxon Art to A.D. 900''. * Wilhelm König - "Ein Galvanisches Element aus der Partherzeit?". ''Forschungen und Fortschritte'' 14:8–9 (on the " Baghdad Battery").

Finds

* June -

TM 1517 TM 1517 is a fossilized skull and lower mandible of the species ''Paranthropus robustus''. It was discovered at Kromdraai, South Africa in 1938 by Robert Broom. Its characteristics include bony ear tubes positioned below the plane of the cheek bo ...

, first remains of ''

Paranthropus robustus ''Paranthropus robustus'' is a species of robustness (morphology), robust australopithecine from the Early Pleistocene, Early and possibly Middle Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, about 2.27 to 0.87 (or, mo ...

'', from Kromdraai fossil site in South Africa. * Maya site of Caracol is rediscovered. * Luther Cressman, the first to explore the region, discovers preserved 9,000-year-old shredded sage sandals at

Fort Rock Cave Fort Rock Cave was the site of the earliest evidence of human habitation in the US state of Oregon before the excavation of Paisley Caves. Fort Rock Cave featured numerous well-preserved sagebrush sandals, ranging from 9,000 to 13,000 years old. ...

in south central Oregon, USA. Until radiocarbon dating verifies his find, his belief has been that humans had occupied the area a maximum of 4,000 years ago. * '

Barber surgeon of Avebury The barber surgeon of Avebury is the name given to a skeleton discovered in 1938 at Avebury henge monument in Wiltshire, England. The body was found underneath a buried megalith by archaeologist Alexander Keiller in 1938. It was dated by coins ...

'. * Bronze Head from Ife.

Births

* March 8 -

Lamia Al-Gailani Werr Lamia Al-Gailani Werr (, 8 March 1938 – 18 January 2019) was an Iraqi Assyriologist specialising in ancient Mesopotamian antiquities. Al-Gailani was born in Baghdad and completed her education in Iraq and the United Kingdom. Her doctoral stud ...

, Iraqi archaeologist (died

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

) * October 4 -

Gennady Zdanovich Gennadii Borisovich Zdanovich (Russian: Геннадий Борисович Зданович; 4 October 1938 – 19 November 2020) was a Russian archaeologist based at the historical site of Arkaim, Chelyabinsk, Russia. Zdanovich led the excavat ...

, Russian archaeologist (died

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

) * Anthony Aveni, American anthropologist

Deaths

* February 24 -

Thomas Gann Thomas William Francis Gann (13 May 1867 – 24 February 1938) was a medical doctor by profession, but is best remembered for his work as an amateur archaeologist exploring ruins of the Maya civilization. Personal history Thomas Gann was bo ...

, British explorer and archaeologist (born

1867 Events January–March * January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...

) * August 9 - Leo Frobenius, German ethnologist (born

1873 Events January–March * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat ...

)

References

{{reflist Archaeology Archaeology Archaeology by year