Below are notable events in archaeology that occurred in 1921.

Explorations

• Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, China is discovered by Swedish geologist Johan Gunnar Andersson and American palaeontologist Walter W. Granger.

Excavations

• Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, China is first excavated by Austrian palaeontologist Otto Zdansky.
• Excavations at Beit She'an by the University of Pennsylvania begin (continue to 1933).
• Daya Ram Sahni starts excavations at Harrappa for the Archaeological Survey of India.
• Georgios Sotiriou starts excavations at the church of Agios Gregorios Theologue in Thebes, Greece.^[1]

Finds

• Material unearthed by Otto Zdansky's excavations at Peking Man Site in Zhoukoudian, China which will eventually yield two human molars; but these finds will not be announced until 1926.
• Edward Thurlow Leeds discovers an early settlement site of the Anglo-Saxons at Sutton Courtenay, the first in England to be systematically excavated.^[2][3]
• Hjortspring boat.
• Pernik sword is discovered.

Institutions

• Origin of Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, Republic of Turkey.

Publications

• January - Society of Antiquaries of London begins publication of The Antiquaries Journal.

Births

• March 11 - Philip Rahtz, English archaeologist (d. 2011)^[4]
• May 2 - B. B. Lal, Indian archaeologist (d. 2022)

Deaths

• November 4 - Oscar Montelius, Swedish archaeologist (b. 1843)^[5]