Below are notable events in archaeology that occurred in 1940.
Explorations
Excavations
Start of excavations at Tell Uqair by Iraqi Directorate General of Antiquities (Seton Lloyd, Taha Baqir and Fuad Safar). Start of excavations at Ahichatra. Start of excavations in the Vatican Necropolis. Excavations at Brahmagiri by M. H. Krishna of the Mysore state Archaeological Department.
Publications
Gisela M. A. Richter - Handbook of the Etruscan Collection (Metropolitan Museum of Art).
Finds
September 12 - Lascaux caves. Painted c. 15,000 BC - 13,000 BC. Closed to the public in 1963. After ten-year expedition at Tanis, "Silver Pharaoh" tomb uncovered by Pierre Montet. It is the first ever intact tomb found. Ferriby Boat 2 discovered by Ted Wright. Balline Hoard in Ireland.
Awards
Miscellaneous
Births
October 14 - Ruth Tringham, Neolithic household and feminist archaeologist.
Deaths
February 26 - John Lamplugh Kirk, British archaeologist, collector and museum curator (b. 1869) April 25 - Wilhelm Dörpfeld, German archaeologist of Troy (b. 1853) June 27 - Harry Burton, English archaeological photographer, known for his photos of the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb (b. 1879).