1959 in archaeology

Explorations

Excavations

• At Mesa Verde National Park, the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project begins for excavation of three cliff dwellings, including a survey of Wetherill Mesa and excavation of selected mesa-top sites.
• Excavations begin at Amri.
• Excavations at Nonsuch Palace, Surrey, England, by Martin Biddle begin.
• Excavations at Caernarfon Mithraeum by National Museum Wales.
• Rescue excavation of Roman villa at Cox Green, Berkshire, England.

  Publications

• Alan H. Gardiner - The Royal Canon of Turin.

  Finds

• July 17 - Mary Leakey and Louis Leakey find Paranthropus in Olduvai Gorge.
• Arlington Springs Man is found by Phil C. Orr on Santa Rosa Island, California.
• Ongoing excavations at Peking Man Site in Zhoukoudian, China unearth a mandible fragment.
• Da He ding discovered at Tanheli in Hunan, China.

  Awards

Miscellaneous

• International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property opens in Rome.

  Births

Deaths

• December 6 - John Winter Crowfoot, English archaeologist and educational administrator