1983 in archaeology

The year 1983 in archaeology involved some significant events.

Explorations

 * Laconia Survey begins (joint British–Dutch project); continues to 1989.

Excavations

 * Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Zhao Mo, Emperor Wen of Nanyue (d. 122 BCE), discovered under Elephant Hill in Guangzhou, China, and excavation by Mai Yinghao and Huang Zhanyue begins.
 * Tell Qarqur in Syria, by an American team, is begun.
 * Hengistbury Head, by Barry Cunliffe, is continued (begun in 1979).
 * Boxgrove Quarry, by Mark Roberts of University College London, is begun (continues to 1996).
 * Excavation of the Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones) at the archaeological site of Atapuerca in northern Spain begins.
 * Abric Romani cave near Capellades in Catalonia is begun.

Publications

 * Christopher Chippindale - Stonehenge Complete.
 * R. C. Gaur - Excavations at Atranjikhera: early civilization of the Upper Ganga Basin.

Finds

 * May 13 - Lindow Woman discovered at Lindow Moss in north west England by peat cutters.
 * First Ayn Ghazal statues found in Jordan.
 * Zhangjiashan Han bamboo texts, including the Book on Numbers and Computation, from tomb M247 at Mount Zhangjia in central China.
 * Kitora Tomb discovered at Asuka, Nara, Japan.
 * 16th century turkey bones in Exeter, England, subsequently identified as from one of the earliest of the birds in Britain.
 * Gloucester tabula set in England.
 * A multi-tablet collection of literature in the Hurrian language with a Hittite translation is discovered at Hattusa in Turkey.

Events

 * British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles is formed.

Deaths

 * Joan du Plat Taylor, British pioneer of maritime archaeology (b. 1906)