Below are notable events in archaeology that occurred in 1887. Excavations June–July - Carl Humann works at Hierapolis.

Finds A local woman digging for sebakh at Amarna uncovers a cache of over 300 cuneiform tablets containing diplomatic correspondence of the Pharaohs, now commonly known as the Amarna Letters. German submersible Brandtaucher, which sank on trial in the port of Kiel in 1851, is discovered, and on July 5 is raised.

Publications William Ivison Macadam - "Notes on the Ancient Iron Industry of Scotland", Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Augustus Pitt Rivers - Excavations in Cranborne Chase, vol. 1 Miscellaneous The Reverend George Brown is elected to the Disney Professorship of Archaeology in the University of Cambridge.

Births January 27 - Carl Blegen, American archaeologist of Greece (d. 1971) October 27 - Neil Judd, American archaeologist (d. 1976)

Deaths September 1 - Jules Desnoyers, French geologist and archaeologist (b. 1800)

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