2017 in archaeology
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This page lists major archaeological events of 2017.


Excavations

* May 6–7 – One of the biggest archaeology excavations in
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
, England is opened to the public over two days. The excavation, overseen by University of Leicester Archaeological Services, has uncovered two large Roman mosaics and two Roman streets. * Summer – First season of rescue excavation of wreck of French-built English ship in The Solent. * October – Site of Reno nightclub (closed 1986) in Manchester, England. * Autumn – Site of
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
motte-and-bailey castle on Mount Stewart estate in Northern Ireland cleared.


Finds

* February – A cave which once held Dead Sea Scrolls is found in the
Judean desert The Judaean Desert or Judean Desert ( he, מִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה, Midbar Yehuda}, both ''Desert of Judah'' or ''Judaean Desert''; ar, صحراء يهودا, Sahraa' Yahuda) is a desert in Palestine and Israel that lies east of Jerusal ...
by archaeologists from the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
. The scrolls are believed to have been looted in the 1950s. * March – Archaeologists from Haifa University discover the wreck of a 13th-century crusader ship and its cargo in
Acre, Israel Acre ( ), known locally as Akko ( he, עַכּוֹ, ''ʻAkō'') or Akka ( ar, عكّا, ''ʻAkkā''), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel. The city occupies an important location, sitting in a natural harb ...
. * 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. The statue is subsequently believed to be of Psamtik I based on inscriptions on the base of the statue. * March 23 – Announcement of discovery of a medieval
Jewish cemetery A Jewish cemetery ( he, בית עלמין ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot'' ...
in Rome. * April – Announcement of the earlier accidental discovery at
St Mary-at-Lambeth ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
church in London of a vault containing the tombs of five
Archbishops of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
dating back to 1610 during refurbishment as a museum. * May 23 – Discovery of the wrecks of and in
Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
. * May 31 – Announcement of two Roman town houses, thought to date from the 3rd or 4th century, found under
Priory Park, Chichester Priory Park is a public park in Chichester, West Sussex, England, operated by Chichester District Council. It is situated in the north-east quadrant of Chichester City centre. The park has a rich heritage and is bordered by the medieval city wal ...
in England. One of the town houses includes a hot room and baths. * June – Archaeologists uncover a city dating back to the 10th century as well as a 12th-century mosque in Eastern Ethiopia. * Summer – Roman
boxing glove Boxing gloves are cushioned gloves that fighters wear on their hands during boxing matches and practices. Unlike "fist-load weapons" (such as the ancient cestus) which were designed as a lethal weapon, modern boxing gloves are non-lethal, desig ...
s found at Vindolanda in the north of England. * August – Boxford Roman mosaic discovered in southern England. * August 19 – Heavy cruiser USS ''Indianapolis'' (launched 1931; sunk 1945) is located in the
Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippine archipelago (hence the name), the largest in the world, occupying an estimated surface area of . The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the sea. Its ...
. * August 24 – A 6th century mosaic with Greek inscriptions dated from the rule of Justinian I is discovered while installing communication cables in Jerusalem's
Old City Old City often refers to old town, the historic or original core of a city or town. Old City may refer to several places: Historical cities or regions of cities ''(by country)'' *Old City (Baku), Azerbaijan * Old City (Dhaka), Bangladesh, also ca ...
. * September – Announcement of discovery of two Roman swords and a toy wooden sword in the domestic quarters of Vindolanda, suggesting a hasty departure from the site. * October 5 – Announcement of presumed location of wreck of
ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...
, the first British civilian casualty of World War II, on
Rockall Rockall () is an uninhabitable granite islet situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom claims that Rockall lies within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is part of its territory, but this claim is not recognised by Ireland. ...
Bank. *November 3 – Archaeologists announced the discovery of a 1400 year-old Byzantine sarcophagus with
Greek inscriptions The Greek-language inscriptions and epigraphy are a major source for understanding of the society, language and history of ancient Greece and other Greek-speaking or Greek-controlled areas. Greek inscriptions may occur on stone slabs, pottery ostr ...
on the cover saying "Blessed Kandes sleeps here" in the antique village of Sadak in Satala in Turkey. * November 17 – Three Roman-era shipwrecks were found off the coast of Alexandria, which carried a Roman head carving possibly belong to a commander called "Antonio", and three gold coins dating back to the Emperor Octavius. * November 23 – Israeli archaeologists report the discovery of a four-line Greek mosaic inscription at
Ashdod Ashdod ( he, ''ʾašdōḏ''; ar, أسدود or إسدود ''ʾisdūd'' or '' ʾasdūd'' ; Philistine: 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 *''ʾašdūd'') is the sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District, it lies on the Mediterran ...
, suggesting a Georgian origin on account of its dating to "the 3rd indiction, year 292", which corresponds to AD 539 according to a medieval Christian Georgian calendar. * November 29 – Archaeologists interpret defensive works at Ebbsfleet, Thanet, as evidence of
Caesar's invasion of Britain In the course of his Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar invaded Britain twice: in 55 and 54 BC. On the first occasion Caesar took with him only two legions, and achieved little beyond a landing on the coast of Kent. The second invasion consisted of 628 ...
at Pegwell Bay in 54BC. * December 18 – Announcement of discovery of artefacts from the 18th century Clapham's
coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
in Cambridge, England. * December 21 – Announcement of discovery of the 1914 wreck of the Royal Australian Navy's first
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
, the British-built , the first
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
submarine lost in World War I, off Duke of York Islands in Papua New Guinea. * Discovery of early paintings of animals,
Celebes warty pig The Celebes warty pig (''Sus celebensis''), also called Sulawesi warty pig or Sulawesi pig, is a species in the pig genus ('' Sus'') that lives on Sulawesi in Indonesia. It survives in most habitats and can live in altitudes of up to . It has bee ...
s and anoas (dwarf buffalo), being pursued by human-like figures from (probably) at least 44,000 years BP, in a cave in South
Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
(Indonesia) located by an Australian-led team. * A skeleton is excavated near
Fenstanton Fenstanton is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, south of St Ives in Huntingdonshire, a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and historic county. Fenstanton lies on the south side of the River Ouse. Known as ''St ...
in eastern England which is subsequently identified as a Roman slave victim of crucifixion. * A Fairey Swordfish aircraft, crashed during World War II, is found off Malta.


Events

* January 20 – A
tetrapylon A tetrapylon ( el, τετράπυλον, "four gates"), plural ''tetrapyla'', known in Latin as a ''quadrifrons'' (literally "four fronts") is a type of ancient Roman monument of cubic shape, with a gate on each of the four sides, generally built ...
monument is destroyed and part of a Roman amphitheatre damaged by ISIS in Palmyra. * The
Pylos Combat Agate The Pylos Combat Agate is a Minoan sealstone of the Mycenaean era, likely manufactured in Late Minoan Crete. It depicts two warriors engaged in hand-to-hand combat, with a third warrior lying on the ground. It was discovered in the Griffin Warrio ...
from Griffin Warrior Tomb, excavated in 2015, is cleaned. * DNA analysis of the skeleton of the Birka female Viking warrior excavated on the Swedish island of Björkö in 1878 (and then believed to be male) confirms her sex.


Deaths

* January 24 –
Peter Woodman Peter Woodman (2 July 1943 – 24 January 2017) was an Irish archaeologist specialising in the Mesolithic period in Ireland. He was a professor emeritus at University College Cork and a former keeper of the Ulster Museum. Education and ca ...
, Irish archaeologist (b.
1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...
) * February 4 –
Ivor Noël Hume Ivor Noël Hume, OBE (30 September 1927 – 4 February 2017) was a British-born archaeologist who did research in the United States. A former director of Colonial Williamsburg’s archaeological research program and the author of more than 20 bo ...
, British-born historical archaeologist (b.
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...
) * March 1 –
Dai Morgan Evans Dai Morgan Evans (1 March 1944 – 1 March 2017) was a British archaeologist and academic. He is best known for his television appearances in programmes such as '' Rome Wasn't Built in a Day''. Morgan Evans was born in West Kirby and grew up in Ch ...
, British archaeologist (b.
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...
) * June 27 –
Bridget Allchin Bridget Allchin (10 February 1927 – 27 June 2017) was an archaeologist who specialised in South Asian archaeology. She published many works, some co-authored with her husband, Raymond Allchin (1923–2010). Background She was born Bridget G ...
, British archaeologist and prehistorian (b.
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...
) * June 29 –
Antonio Sagona Antonio (Tony) Giuseppe Sagona (1956 – 2017), was an archaeologist and classics professor who taught at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Tony Sagona was born in Tripoli, Libya, on April 30, 1956. Accompanying his parents, ...
, Australian archaeologist (b.
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...
)


See also

*
List of years in archaeology A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...


References

{{reflist, 2 Archaeology by year 2017-related lists Archaeology