December 1933–June 1934

Schooner "Samothrace", Limassol, 7 June 1934.

The Curator of the Cyprus Museum, Secretary of the Museum Committee, Nicosia.

Sir,

I have the honour to report, for the information of the Museum Committee and yourself, that operations under the Permit issued to me on May 23rd 1934, authorizing excavations on the site of Curium, were begun on May 28th in the field LVIII/4/46, which comprises the south-western third of the acropolis. The excavation, which is for the present purely exploratory, is being conducted by trial trenches, of which five, 20m to 40m long and 1.50m or 2m wide, are now being dug. It is too early to attempt to report results; but my intention is to give you a summary account of each trench shortly after its completion.

Having obtained owners' written consent, I have now requested the Hon.Colonial Secretary to amend the Permit issued 23rd May 1934 so as to include the following fields in the area subject to excavation:

1) LVIII/4/4, which includes the northern third of the ancient site, owned by Oxuz Ahmed Mustafa and mortgaged to the Limassol Agency of Evkaf, to which I have undertaken to give previous notice of any payments about to be made to the mortgagor by reason of the excavation.

2) LVIII/4/45, covering the southeastern third of the site, owned by Z.& E.Chrysostomides but now under a receivership in bankruptcy, the consent to excavation by us having been given by the Trustee, M.F.Kolakides.

3) LVIII/4/65, in which you excavated a number of early Iron Age tombs in 1933, and LVIII/12/7, both situated in the plain southwest of Episkopi, owned by Hafiz Dervish Eff., of Limassol.

For your convenience in locating the four fields named I enclose a tracing from L.R.Survey sheets 58/4 and 58/12, in the scale 1:5000.

Failing objection on your part, I plan shortly to extend exploratory operations into these fields, beginning with LVIII/4/4.

with great respect,

B.H.Hill, Director of the University of Pennsylvania Archaeological Expedition.