1931 in archaeology refers to the significant events, excavations, publications, and births and deaths that occurred in the field of archaeology during the year 1931.
Excavations
- Ur (Iraq): Sir Leonard Woolley continued excavations at the Royal Cemetery on behalf of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania. The 1930–1931 season focused on the "Great Death Pit" and the tomb of Queen Puabi.
- Athens Agora (Greece): The American School of Classical Studies at Athens began the first season of systematic excavation at the Athenian Agora under the direction of T. Leslie Shear.
- Tell Asmar (Eshnunna, Iraq): The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, led by Henri Frankfort, continued the second season of excavations at Tell Asmar (ancient Eshnunna) as part of the Diyala Project.
- Tepe Hissar (Iran): Erich Schmidt, on behalf of the University Museum (Philadelphia), initiated excavations at Tepe Hissar near Damghan, revealing a long sequence from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age.
- Jericho (West Bank): John Garstang continued his excavations at Tell es-Sultan (ancient Jericho) for the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem (seasons 1930–1936).
- Zhoukoudian (China): Excavations at the Peking Man site continued under the direction of the Cenozoic Research Laboratory (Pei Wenzhong, Jia Lanpo). Significant hominin fossils, including cranial fragments, were recovered during the 1931 field season.
- Tanis (Egypt): Pierre Montet continued excavations at Tanis (San el-Hagar) for the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology, focusing on the Late Period royal necropolis.
- Ugarit (Ras Shamra, Syria): Claude Schaeffer continued excavations for the French Mission de Ras Shamra, further uncovering the Royal Palace and the temple libraries containing the Ugaritic texts.
- Byblos (Lebanon): Maurice Dunand continued large-scale excavations at Byblos (Jbeil) for the French Mandate authorities, defining the stratigraphic sequence of the site.
Publications
- Sir John Marshall (ed.), Mohenjo-daro and the Indus Civilization: The official three-volume report on the excavations at Mohenjo-daro (conducted 1922–1927) was published in 1931, establishing the foundation for the study of the Indus Valley Civilization.
- V. Gordon Childe, The Bronze Age: A synthesis of European Bronze Age archaeology.
- Gertrude Caton-Thompson, The Zimbabwe Culture: Ruins and Reactions: Published the results of her 1929 excavations at Great Zimbabwe, conclusively demonstrating its indigenous African origin.
Finds
- Peking Man Fossils: Several important Homo erectus pekinensis fossils, including cranial fragments and teeth, were discovered at Zhoukoudian Locality 1 during the 1931 season.
- Diyala Region Sculpture: The Oriental Institute excavations at Tell Asmar and Khafajah yielded the cache of Early Dynastic statues known as the "Tell Asmar Hoard" (discovered in the 1930–31 and 1931–32 seasons), including the iconic standing male figures with inlaid eyes.
- Ur Artifacts: The 1930–31 season at Ur produced further masterpieces from the Royal Cemetery, including gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian jewelry, and the "Ram in a Thicket" statuettes (though the most famous examples were found in the 1928–29 season, related material continued to be recovered).
Events and Institutions
- The International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (ICAES) held its second meeting in London (the first was in 1934; 1931 saw preparatory organization).
- The Prehistoric Society of East Anglia (founded 1908) was reconstituted as the Prehistoric Society (UK), broadening its scope to cover British prehistory generally.
Births
- Lewis Binford (April 14, 1931 – April 11, 2011): Influential American archaeologist known for developing processual archaeology ("New Archaeology").
- Kent Flannery (June 7, 1931 – ): American archaeologist known for his work on the origins of agriculture and Mesoamerican civilization.
- David R. Harris (December 14, 1931 – December 23, 2013): British geographer and archaeologist specializing in the origins of agriculture.
Deaths
- Friedrich Rathgen (June 2, 1862 – January 24, 1931): German chemist, considered the father of archaeological conservation; first director of the Chemical Laboratory of the Royal Museums of Berlin.
- Robert Mond (January 23, 1867 – November 17, 1931): British archaeologist and chemical industrialist; major benefactor of excavations in Egypt (Thebes, Armant) and founder of the Robert Mond Travelling Scholarship.
- John L. Myres (October 3, 1869 – March 6, 1931) — Correction: John L. Myres died in 1954. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie died in 1942. Arthur Evans died in 1941. David George Hogarth died in 1927. No major founding figures of the discipline died in 1931.
