1890 in archaeology

Below are notable events in archaeology that occurred in 1890.

Explorations

 * Alfred Maudslay begins his documentation of the Maya ruins of Palenque.

Excavations

 * Arthur Evans excavates a Belgae cemetery site at Aylesford.
 * J.R. Mortimer begins excavations at Duggleby Howe.
 * The Society of Antiquaries of London begins its excavations of Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester Roman Town).
 * Merv.
 * Flinders Petrie excavates at Tell el-Hesi, Palestine (mistakenly identified as Lachish), the first scientific excavation of an archaeological site in the Holy Land, during which he discovers how tells are formed.

Finds

 * Saltley handaxe excavated in Birmingham, the first paleolithic human artefact found in The Midlands of England.
 * Hermes Criophorus statue found in Troezen, Greece.

Births

 * April 21: Benno Landsberger, German Assyriologist (d. 1968)
 * September 10: Mortimer Wheeler, British archaeologist (d. 1976)

Deaths

 * August 2 - Charles Roach Smith, British archaeologist; co-founder of the British Archaeological Association (b. 1807)
 * October 28: Jean Baptiste Holzmayer, German archaeologist (b. 1839)
 * December 26: Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist, excavator of Troy (b. 1822)