1866 in archaeology

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Below are notable events in archaeology that occurred in 1866.

Explorations

• Architect Thomas Drew draws attention to the significance of St. Audoen's Church, Dublin, Ireland.

Excavations

• Discovery and first excavation of Fertőrákos mithraeum.
• Amateur antiquarian John Mellor excavates at the site of Hyde Abbey near Winchester in England, finding bones which he presumes to be of Alfred the Great. ^[1]

Publications

• Posthumous publication by Édouard Lartet of Henry Christy's Reliquiae Aquitanicae, being contributions to the archaeology and palaeontology of Perigord and the adjacent provinces of southern France commences. ^[2]

Finds

• February 26 - The Calaveras Skull is discovered in California. Purported to be evidence of humans in North America during the Pliocene epoch, it turns out to be a hoax.
• The prehistoric sculpture Swimming Reindeer is found in France.
• The first copy of the Decree of Canopus is found at Tanis.

Births

• May 23 - Edgar J. Banks, American antiquarian (d. 1945).
• June 26 - George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, British Egyptological excavation sponsor (d. 1923). ^[3]

See also

• List of years in archaeology
• 1865 in archaeology
• 1867 in archaeology

References

1. Winchester Museums Service (2009-12-04). "Summary of Hyde Community Archaeology Project". Winchester Council. Archived from the original on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2025-09-30– via Wayback Machine.
2. Harrison, W. J. (2004). "Christy, Henry (1810–1865)" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5375 . Retrieved 2011-05-05.(Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
3. "George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th earl of Carnarvon - British Egyptologist". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 23 May 2017.