December 1933–June 1934

9 Plutarch Street, Athens,

19 February, 1934Dear Mr.Jayne:

With regard to Curium, having received a favorable reply from Cyprus this evening, I have cabled you as follows:

City available and cemeteries partially (so). Greek Easter prevents beginning (work) before (about) middle April. Application (for Permit) filed.

I state the fact that the cemeteries about Curium are not all available by way of letting you know that we cannot have so sweeping a permit as we had at Lapithos. This is because the Cyprus Museum itself has been excavating, in 1933, the Geometric cemetery I referred to in my letter to you of June 15,1931,(top of page 2), and at a very important Neolithic site near Erimi, about three miles from Curium. You have doubtless seen Mr.Dikaios' account of his discoveries there in the Illustrated London News of 23 December 1933. I presume that it was because of the Cyprus Museum's own interest in the region of Curium that Mr.Dikaios wired: "Please define sites required" in reply to my telegram of 11 Feb.: "Philadelphia inquires whether Curium available site excavations beginning April"

Thanks to storms and human fallibility I received Mr. Dikaios' telegram 29 hours after it reached New Corinth (It should have come in half an hour), just as I was leaving for here. On Feb. 15th I answered: "City primarily. Any work outside adjusted to yours". To this I now have the laconic, and wholly satisfactory, reply: "Available".

Without waiting for his answer to my second cablegram [handwritten: blank] forms for owners' consent to our excavation of their fields, a cheque to cover the first expenses in connection with negotiations with owners, and a formal application (to be presented when owners' consents have been secured) for official permission "to conduct archaeological investigations and excavation ... on and about the site of ancient Curium ... in the fields described in the documents attached ..." I have asked Mr.Dikaios to get us as much as possible of the hill on which the city stood (I presume there are no buildings now in use on the site. At any rate there were none in 1931) and a field or two outside that he would recommend for investigation. We incur no obligation until we actually begin to dig in any given field; so there is no harm done if it chances that we do not dig at all in some of the fields covered by our permit. The obligation we assume is to compensate the owner for all damage to crops, to pay rental if we prevent cultivation of a field, and at the end of our work to restore the land to the owner in the condition in which we found it. In case of disagreement both parties agree to accept arbitration of a representative of the district Land Survey & Registry office.

Apart from this certain the Greek Easter holidays -- April 6-10, with the 13th also very likely -- in making it difficult to begin serious work before the 11th at best or perhaps until the 16th, of April, thinking that you and Mr. McFadden might like to know the fact early.