List of archaeological excavations by date

This is a list of significant archaeological expeditions by date, which include first excavations at important sites, or expeditions that uncovered important objects.

1500s

  • Pompeii - 1599 - Domenico Fontana called when the digging of an underground channel to divert the river Sarno ran into ancient walls covered with paintings and inscriptions.

1600s

  • Ur - 1625 - Pietro Della Valle noted bricks with cuneiform writing and stone seals at the site of Ur.

1700s

1800s

1810s

  • Babylon - 1811–12 - Claudius Rich

1840s

  • Dur-Sharrukin (Knorsabad) - 1842 - Paul-Émile Botta
  • Ninevah - 1843 - Paul-Émile Botta
  • Ninevah - 1845 - Austen Henry Layard
  • Dur-Sharrukin (Knorsabad) - 1847 - Austen Henry Layard found Sennacherib's palace, and the library of Ashurbanipal

1850s

1870s

  • Troy - 1871-1879 - Heinrich Schliemann conducted two excavations at the site, determining that the city pre-dated the Classical era

1880s

1890s

  • Delphi - 1892 - Theophile Homolle, French School of Archaeology

1900s

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1960s

1990s

  • Marad - 1990 - Excavations led by Na'el Hannoon

2000s

2010s