1948

Continued from scan 3

… -5-

imately three months. Presumably actual excavations would begin in the winter of 1948-49 and at that time Dr. Steele would join the Field Director as his assistant.

In this connection it is urgent to arrange for the employment of a Field Director for the Babylonian field prior to July, 1948. His employment would be based upon a five year program.

The cost of this program in Babylonia is estimated $80,000 calculated at $25,000 per season for three seasons, plus $5,000 for a survey in 1948. This does not include the salary of the Field Director to be employed, for which other arrangements are contemplated.

B. Eastern Mediterranean Area - Dr. Daniel, Dr. Hill, Mr. McFadden

Three seasons of excavations, preferably at Sardis in Turkey or at a site of similar age and extent, are recommended.

Western Anatolia (Turkey) is one of the key areas in the study of the ancient world, for it formed the bridge between Greece and the Orient. It is almost untouched archaeologically. There is no other area in the Near East of comparable importance of which we know so little. Excavations at a good site should answer many crucial problems, such as:

(1) The location and history of the buffer states between the Hittite and Mycenaean Empires, and the relations of the two empires themselves.

These states figure in the Hittite annals but cannot be placed.

(2) The origin of the Philistines and other peoples, part Greek part Asiatic, who raided Palestine and Egypt in the 12th century B. C.

(3) The Minoan language of Crete. This was related to Lydian, Carian, Lycian and other tongues spoken in western Anatolia. Bilingual inscriptions may well be found and lead to the decipherment of all these languages. Our museum has already sponsored work on this subject.

(4) The origin of the Etruscans. This also fits in with earlier work of this museum.

(5) The introduction of Oriental culture into Greece in the 7th century