1838 in archaeology explained

Below are notable events in archaeology that occurred in 1838.

Explorations

• August 31 - Scottish-born scene painter David Roberts sets sail for Egypt (with the encouragement of J. M. W. Turner) to produce a series of drawings of the region for use as the basis for paintings and chromolithographs, later published in The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia
• John Shae Perring, a British engineer working under Colonel Howard Vyse,^[1] clears the entrances to the pyramids of Sahure, Neferirkare and Nyuserre in Egypt.^[2]
• French orientalist painters Antoine-Alphonse Montfort and visit and paint the Roman temple of Bziza.

Finds

• The 5th century BC bronze Chatsworth Head (found on Cyprus in 1836) is acquired by the 6th Duke of Devonshire at Smyrna from H. P. Borrell.^[3]
• Etruscan statuettes found in Lake of the Idols.
• Victoria Cave near Settle, North Yorkshire in England, containing Paleolithic remains, is discovered.^[4]
• Winter 1837/38 - The Neolithic settlement of Rinyo on Rousay in Orkney (Scotland) is discovered.
• c. January - Remains of a Roman villa are found near Bath, Somerset, England during construction of the Great Western Railway and recorded with artefacts being preserved.^[5]

Publications

• Rifa'a el-Tahtawi publishes The History of Ancient Egyptians.
• Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes publishes the first part of De La Création, Essai sur L'Origine et la Progression des Êtres.
• Jean-Frédéric Waldeck publishes the first detailed account of the Maya ruins of Uxmal.

Deaths

• March 12 - Richard Polwhele, Cornish antiquarian (b. 1760).
• May 19 - Sir Richard Colt Hoare, English archaeologist (b. 1758).^[6]

Notes and References

1. Book: Lehner, Mark. 2008. The Complete Pyramids. New York; London. Thames & Hudson. 978-0-500-28547-3. 50.
2. Book: Edwards, Iorwerth. Abusir. Bard. Kathryn. 1999. Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. limited. London; New York. Routledge. 978-0-203-98283-9. 97.
3. 626437. The Chatsworth Head. A. J. B.. Wace. The Journal of Hellenic Studies. 58. 1. 1938. 90–95. 10.2307/626437. 162702082 .
4. Web site: Palaeolithic Yorkshire – Victoria Cave. Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society. 2020-10-16.
5. Book: Bryan, Tim. Iron, Stone and Steam: Brunel's Railway Empire. Amberley. Stroud. 2023. 978-1-3981-1269-8. 134.
6. Web site: Sir Richard Colt Hoare 1758–1838. tate.org. 9 June 2017.