1956 in archaeology

The year 1956 in archaeology involved some significant events.

Explorations

Excavations

• Large University of Pennsylvania project at Tikal begins.
• Excavations of the Neolithic settlement at Argissa Magoula in Thessaly by Vladimir Milojčić of the University of Heidelberg begin (continue to 1958).
• Excavations of the Danubian Neolithic settlement at Bylany in Bohemia begin.
• Excavations at Brahmagiri.
• Excavations at Teppe Hasanlu begin (continue to 1974).

Publications

• Documents in Mycenaean Greek by Michael Ventris and John Chadwick; documenting decipherment of Linear B writing.

Finds

• Anders Franzén locates the Swedish warship Vasa, sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628, in Stockholm harbor.

Miscellaneous

• W. F. Grimes succeeds V. Gordon Childe as director of the University of London Institute of Archaeology.

Deaths

• June 6: Hiram Bingham III, American rediscoverer of Machu Picchu (born 1875).
• September 6: Michael Ventris, English co-decipherer of Linear B (car accident) (born 1922).
• September 12: John Garstang, English archaeologist of the Near East (in Beirut) (born 1876).
• November 9: Alan Wace, English archaeologist who worked on Linear B (born 1879).