1964 in archaeology

The year 1964 in archaeology involved some significant events.

Excavations

 * Seibal Harvard University project begins under direction of Gordon R. Willey and A. Ledyard Smith.
 * Et-Tell excavations under Joseph Callaway begin (continue through 1970).
 * Saqqara excavations under Bryan Emery begin (continue through 1971).
 * Pool of Bethesda excavations.
 * Snaketown by Emil Haury, with assistance from E. B. Sayles, Erik K. Reed, and Irwin and Julian Hayden.
 * Ebla excavations by the University of Rome La Sapienza directed by Paolo Matthiae begin.
 * Excavations in Hane, Marquesas Islands, by Yosihiko H. Sinoto begin.
 * Tomb of Princess Yongtai excavated in Qianling Mausoleum, China.
 * The Missione Archaeologica Italiana a Malta begins excavations at Ras il-Wardija, Gozo, Malta (continues through 1967).
 * First full-scale excavation of Roman villa at Oplontis in Italy begins.
 * Archaeological site of Atapuerca in Spain directed by Francisco Jordá Cerdá.
 * Argentine surveyor and archaeologist Carlos J. Gradin and his team begins the most profound research on Cueva de las Manos in a 30-year-long study of the caves and their art.
 * Excavation of Tel Arad by Yohanan Aharoni (continues until 1967).

Finds

 * Getty Victorious Youth in the sea off Fano.
 * The second trove of Qabala treasures in Azerbaijan.
 * Mummies on Pichu Pichu in the Peruvian Andes.
 * Teeth from Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy, identified in 2011 as the oldest known remains of European early modern humans.
 * Pyrgi Tablets at the site of ancient Pyrgi in Lazio, Italy.
 * A buckle depicting a man holding a spear in each hand is discovered at Finglesham Anglo-Saxon cemetery during excavations led by Sonia Chadwick Hawkes.

Events

 * May 31 – The Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites is adopted by the Second International Congress of Architects and Specialists of Historic Buildings.
 * November 30 – Western Australian Museum Act Amendment Act provides for protection of pre-1900 wrecks in local waters.
 * Project to move the Abu Simbel temples to prevent their inundation by the Aswan High Dam begins.

Publications

 * L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp - Ancient Ruins and Archaeology.
 * Journal of Industrial Archaeology begins publication.

Awards

 * Ian Richmond knighted.

Births

 * February – Duan Qingbo, Chinese archaeologist (died 2019)