2017 turned out to be a banner year for major archaeological breakthroughs, delivering fresh insights and solving long‑standing riddles from ancient Egypt to the far‑flung coasts of Canada.
10 Giant Colossus Unearthed Under Slums of Cairo
Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities, Khaled Alnani, proclaimed 2017 “a year of archaeological discoveries,” a welcome revival after the lull that followed the 2011 Arab Spring. Among the season’s highlights were a Roman‑era tomb near Minya, three additional graves near Samalut, and a goldsmith’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Yet the headline‑grabbing find was a colossal statue revealed in March beneath the Cairo suburb of Mataria.
Archaeologists first uncovered a three‑ton torso, later locating the head, pedestal, and even two toes. They are confident the remaining fragments will surface in the same spot. Based on the torso’s dimensions, the completed statue would tower roughly nine metres (about 29 feet) high.
Initial speculation linked the monument to Ramses the Great because of its proximity to his temple ruins. However, a subsequent study uncovered an inscription bearing the title “Neb Aa,” a designation exclusive to Pharaoh Psamtek I of the 26th Dynasty. This makes the sculpture the largest Late Period statue ever found in Egypt.
Major Archaeological Impact
The discovery reshapes our understanding of Late Period monumental art and underscores how urban development can conceal monumental heritage beneath modern neighborhoods.
9 Solving the Mystery of the Hunley
On February 17, 1864, the Confederate submersible H.L. Hunley became the first combat submarine to sink a warship, striking the USS Housatonic. The triumph was costly: the Hunley and its eight crew vanished the same day, remaining lost for 130 years. The wreck was located in 1995 and raised in 2000, revealing the crew still at their stations with no sign of an escape attempt.
Prevailing theories blamed enemy fire or a collision, but new research this year proposes a different culprit: the blast from the Hunley’s own spar torpedo. Scale‑model experiments demonstrated that the pressure wave from the torpedo’s explosion was sufficient to kill or incapacitate the crew, either instantly or via blast‑lung, a condition that would render them unconscious and cause the vessel to sink.
8 No Ecocide on Easter Island
A 2017 genetic study adds weight to a growing body of archaeological evidence that challenges the classic “ecocide” narrative for Easter Island – the idea that the Rapa Nui people destroyed their own civilization through warfare and deforestation.
Easter Island, famed for its moai statues, has long been portrayed as a cautionary tale of environmental collapse. The myth rests on two claims: a once‑dense population that dwindled dramatically before European contact, and the notion that massive tree‑cutting to move and erect moai led to crop failure, resource scarcity, and internecine conflict.
Archaeologist Carl Lipo points out that only 2.5 % of examined human remains show trauma, and oral histories—nearly 300 years old—are unreliable. Moreover, the Polynesian rat, which ate both palm nuts and saplings, likely played a larger role in deforestation. The new genetic analysis also revises timelines, suggesting that South American contact occurred later than previously thought, and that slave raids, introduced disease, and forced migration from the 18th century onward were the primary drivers of population decline.
7 Long Lost Temple of Artemis
After more than a century of searching, archaeologists announced the discovery of a forgotten temple devoted to Artemis on the Greek island of Euboea, near the coastal town of Amarynthos. This is not to be confused with the famed Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders.
The hunt began in the late 1800s, guided by the 1st‑century geographer Strabo, who claimed the sanctuary lay seven stades from ancient Eretria. In reality, the site was located about 60 stades (nearly 11 km) away. A pivotal clue emerged when researchers found a Byzantine church farther than Strabo’s estimate, built using stones that appeared to be repurposed from an earlier Greek structure.
Redirecting their focus toward Amarynthos—a city with strong ties to Artemis—archaeologists uncovered galleries on the northern and eastern sides before revealing the core sanctuary. Inscriptions bearing Artemis’s name confirmed the temple’s identity.
6 More Historical Finds at Antikythera
The Antikythera shipwreck, first discovered by sponge divers in 1900, continues to yield fresh treasures. While the wreck is renowned for the Antikythera mechanism—an ancient analog computer—recent dives have uncovered additional artifacts, most notably the arm of a bronze statue.
Bronze statues are exceptionally rare because antiquarians often melted them down for reuse. The recovered arm does not match any known statue bodies, prompting speculation that the rest of the figure (and perhaps others) may still lie within the undisturbed deposit.
Greek statuary expert Professor Carol Mattusch describes the wreck as a “time capsule,” offering unparalleled insight into ancient sculptural practices and transport methods. It also marks the first on‑site excavation of a bronze statue using modern technology, rather than relying on accidental finds from fishing nets.
5 Ancient Settlement Found in Canada
North America’s early human timeline is fragmentary, and new finds keep rewriting the story. In 2017, archaeologists uncovered one of the continent’s oldest settlements on Triquet Island off British Columbia’s coast.
The discovery supports the hypothesis that the BC coastline experienced a significant migration wave. It also validates Heiltsuk oral histories: the island, according to indigenous legend, remained ice‑free during the last glacial maximum, providing a refuge for ancestors.
Excavations revealed a prehistoric hearth layer, and charcoal fragments from the site were radiocarbon‑dated to roughly 14,000 years ago, pushing back the known human presence in the region.
4 First Female Viking Warrior
In the 1880s, archaeologists uncovered a massive 10th‑century Viking burial ground at Birka on Björkö Island, featuring around 1,100 graves. One particular mound—designated Bj 581—stood out, perched on an elevated terrace beside a garrison and containing a full warrior’s kit: sword, axe, spear, battle knife, arrows, shields, and even horses. A board game, hnefatafl, lay in the skeleton’s lap, hinting at strategic prowess.
For decades, scholars assumed the interred individual was male. However, skeletal analysis showed female characteristics, and a recent DNA study confirmed the absence of a Y chromosome, proving the warrior was a woman. This marks the first confirmed high‑ranking female Viking fighter, challenging long‑standing gender assumptions in Viking warfare. Researchers hope to test additional Scandinavian graves for similar findings.
3 The Long Lost City of Alexander the Great
Drones have become indispensable tools for archaeologists, delivering rapid, high‑resolution aerial surveys of hard‑to‑reach sites. Leveraging this technology, a joint Iraqi‑British team rediscovered a forgotten city founded by Alexander the Great, known as Qalatga Darband, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
The settlement, established in the late 4th century BC and once thriving on wine trade, vanished from the historical record for nearly two millennia. The first images of the ruins were captured by CIA spy satellites in the 1960s, declassified in 1996, and only recently recognized as outlines of an ancient city.
Modern drone photography confirmed the site’s existence, and excavations have already unearthed Greco‑Roman statues and Greek coins. Ongoing work includes training Iraqi archaeologists to protect heritage sites in conflict‑affected zones.
2 Scholars Pinpoint Oldest Solar Eclipse on Record
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified the earliest known solar eclipse recorded in human history: an annular eclipse on October 30, 1207 BC. By cross‑referencing Egyptian and biblical texts and developing a new algorithm that accounts for changes in Earth’s rotation, they pinpointed this celestial event.
The biblical account from the Book of Joshua describes the Sun standing still as the Israelites entered Canaan. While earlier scholars debated whether this described a literal eclipse, the Cambridge team argued the phenomenon was an annular eclipse—producing a “ring of fire” rather than a total blackout.
Archaeological evidence, such as the Merneptah Stele, confirms Israelite presence in Canaan between 1500 and 1050 BC. Using these chronological anchors, the researchers assert that the only solar eclipse visible from Canaan during that era occurred on the afternoon of October 30, 1207 BC. This fixed point can now calibrate dates for other events, including the reigns of Pharaohs Merneptah and his father, Ramesses the Great.
1 Metro Workers Discover Roman Aqueduct
At the close of 2016, workers constructing a new Metro line in Rome stumbled upon a “sensational discovery of enormous importance.” Subsequent investigations confirmed the find: a segment of one of the city’s oldest aqueducts, part of the Aqua Appia built in 312 BC.
The uncovered stretch measures 32 metres (about 105 feet) long and stands two metres high, lying 18 metres beneath Piazza Celimontana. Over time, newer aqueducts superseded it, and the structure eventually functioned as a sewer, preserving food remnants and animal bones that offer insights into Roman diet and pet preferences.
Archaeologists plan to dismantle and relocate the section for public display, ensuring its preservation and allowing visitors to appreciate this piece of ancient engineering.