The year 1987 in archaeology involved some significant events.

Explorations

Excavations

• Wreck of SS Elbe (1881) (sank 1895) located and excavated off the coast of the Netherlands.
• Gaziantep Museum excavations at Zeugma.

Finds

• June 20 - Arkaim in Southern Ural.^[1]
• Hoards from Milton Keynes and surrounding area of Buckinghamshire, England: coins from Little Brickhill and Walton.
• Skeleton of a woman dating from over 4,250 years ago found in Achavanich, a megalithic structure in Caithness, Scotland.^[2]
• Dufuna canoe, the oldest known boat outside Europe, found in Nigeria.

Publications

• Harding, A. F (1987). Henge Monuments and Related Sites of Great Britain: air photographic evidence and catalogue. BAR British series. Oxford: BAR. ISBN 0-86054-470-2.
• Renfrew, Colin (1988). Archaeology and Language: the puzzle of Indo-European origins. London: Cape. ISBN 0-224-02495-7.
• Merrifield, Ralph (1987). The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic. London: Guild Publishing. ISBN 0-7134-4870-9.

Events

• December 8 - Chaco Culture National Historical Park is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[3]

Births

Deaths

• August 12 - Crystal Bennett, British archaeologist of Jordan (b. 1918)^[4]