1939

Episkopi, Cyprus

April 26, 1939Dear Mrs. Dohan:-

I have proved myself an unspeakable correspondent, in spite of a silent resolution to improve my ways. Almost since the day of my arrival I have been digging with a staff of over fifty men, and you know what that means on a one-man-dig, where one is one's own architect, cataloguer, etc. I must admit not even having finished my review of Schaeffer's book. The book is read and I know about what I will say, but it isn't written yet. I will try to do it next week-end.

The dig has been going very well. I have located a large and definitely superior house of the 13th century B.C. I may finish by calling it a palace, though it's still too early for that. As usual on the Bamboula, there is considerable telescoping of different periods, resulting in many a headache for me. [handwritten: P] The Museum should be pleased to know that I have dug several tombs this year. The Mycenaen cemetery has been terribly plundered, worst of all in the geometric and archaic periods, when the tombs were cleared out for reburials, and in the Roman period, when grain-pits were sunk into them. In addition the British Museum dug these for three months with 100 men. To say nothing of constant pl undering by the villagers. In view of all this I am proud to have found 30 tombs which contained something, and four completely unplundered. The best finds are an excellent LHIII B krater with panels bordered by cable-patterns, containing highly decorative birds; a beautiful crystal seal; 53 new fragments of the famous "window krater", British Museum C391 (which the Br. Mus. will probably claim); some good L. H.III pottery; and really first class Cypriote pottery of the Late Bronze Age. We have the largest example of the "White slip ware" I have ever seen, and a unique krater of the "Base Ring ware", with elaborate decoration in white paint. There is a good deal of gold, and many seals, mainly of steatite, also considerable ivory and some glass. One of the most interesting results of the excavation of the tombs is the discovery that the skulls are predominantly dolichocephalic as early as 1400 B.C., in contrast to the Asiatic brachycephallic types of other Mycenaean sites in Cyprus. While no anthropologist has studied them yet, they appear to prove my theory of an early migration from Greece.

The greatest excitement in the village has been caused by the fact that abundant water has been found in the big 14th century well on the top of the hill,

I heard the other day that my fellowship has been renewed, so I will be in Philadelphia again next winter. I am afraid that my progress with Aeschylus is less than anticipated, in view of the interest of the dig.

We all feel that we are sitting on the rim of a volcano which may erupt any minute, the political situation of the world being what it is. Cyprus would almost certainly see something of the war which would break out now. Fortunately some big Hellenistic tombs near here should prove bomb-proof.

Please remember me to your family, the Wilcoxs, Miss McHugh, Dr. Legrain, and other Philadelphia friends.

Sincerely,

[handwritten: signature] John Daniel