Archaeology Magazine's Top 10 Discoveries of 2007

Hardly week goes by without a major archaeological discovery or the publication of a radical new theory about the human past. Reducing a year's worth of these stories to the 10 most important was a tall order, especially since our intent was to go beyond the headlines and select those we thought made a significant impact on the field--ones that will be talked about for decades.

With that in mind, here are our picks for the 2007's most important finds...

Solar Observatory at Chankillo, Peru

Nebo-Sarsekim Cuneiform Tablet

New Dates for Clovis Sites

Early Squash Seeds, Peru

Ancient Chimpanzee Tool Use

Urbanization at Tell Brak, Syria

Lismullin Henge, Tara, Ireland

Polynesian Chickens in Chile

Homo habilis & Homo erectus

Greater Angkor, Cambodia

Of course, we couldn't agree on our own top ten, and many of us lobbied for stories that didn't make the final cut. So, we have added here nine of 2007's other most important finds...

Baby Mammoth, Russia	Alexander's Isthmus, Tyre, Lebanon	Ötzi's Final Moments, Italy
Neolithic Mural, Syria	Imperial Standards, Rome	Building the Great Pyramid, Giza
Paleolithic Tools, India	5,800-Year-Old Mass Grave, Syria	Polynesian Breakthroughs

Top 10 Discoveries: 2006 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010