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Valuable finds at Engomi 'dig

IMPORTANT new finds have been made as a result of the excavations at Engomi by the French expedition of the commission de Fouilles, carried out under the direction of Professor Schaeffer, assisted by a team of archaeologists.

The Antiquities Department has given the following account of the finds following the completion of the 21st season of the excavations.

In the central part of the town two vaulted tombs were explored. Their origin and probable relationship with Aegean bee-hive tombs of the 2nd millennium (particularly those of Crete and Mycenae) has yet to be established.

Model mouse

In the same sector of the town, the exploration of the wells and cisterns used during the Mycenaean (14th to 13th centuries B.C.) and the immediately post-Mycenaean periods (12th - 11th centuries B.C.) was taken up again. Among the stratified deposits of pottery which these wells contained, were found weights in haematite and in bronze, one of which is in the shape of a mouse and is provided with a tang in lead. Excavations carried out in another sector of the town brought to light a part of an industrial quarter, where potters' kilns, bronzesmiths' workshops and hearths could be studied in detail, they date from the XIIth century B.C.

At the South of the East-West street of the town, a series of post-Mycenaean habitations were cleared. Their ruins occupied four levels, separated by layers of debris. They suggest two destructions by earthquakes, after which the floors of the habitations were each time remade so that they might be adapted to the heightened level of the streets.

Several disasters

During these works, the inhabitants saved from the debris all that was still usable, which may explain the relative poverty of finds in these layers. Stratigraphic observations permit to establish that these catastrophes followed one another at rather close intervals. The occupation by the «Peoples of the North and of the Sea» did not therefore last longer than four generations, from the beginning of the 12th century B.C. to the beginning of the 11th.

The pottery used during this period in Cyprus is clearly distinguishable from the Cypriot homemade pottery and from the beautiful painted Mycenaean vases of the 14th and 13th centuries. It relates by its forms and its painted decoration to the pottery found in the Peloponnese and in the Aegean islands, in archaeological layers which overly over the destroyed and abandoned habitations of the end of the Mycenaean period. It is now clear that the disparition of the Mycenaean civilization took place at the same moment in Cyprus and the Peloponnese at the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 12th century B.C. Both centuries may have then been occupied by uprooted peoples, those of Cyprus having been designated by the historiographers of the court of Ramses III as the «Peoples of the North and of the Sea».

Bronze swords

The «North - and Sea - Peoples» who succeeded the Mycenaeans in the island, as they did in Aegean Greece, their wealth principally from the metal industry and from the production of arms. This is attested by the recent discovery of four Late Bronze Age swords of European type, 60cm. long, in an armourer's cache at Enkomi-Alasia containing approximately a hundred other bronze objects, one of which was a small model of a ritual vehicle.

Among the finds of this season we note some iron knives found in post-Mycenaean tombs and habitations of the 12th century B.C. One knife, with a blade of bronze, has been found in situ on a soil of beaten earth in one of the houses dating from the period of the occupation by the «Peoples of the Sea». It has an ivory plated handle, terminating in a small loop used for suspension.

Locally produced

The new finds at Enkomi-Alasia prove now that swords and knives were produced in the island. And these copies are so well made that they cannot be distinguished from their European prototypes. One may conclude that the armourers in Cyprus who forged these weapons, were akin to those same «North and Sea-peoples» who had invaded the island at the beginning of the 12th century B.C. The knives and swords of European types, discovered in the Sea-Peoples' occupation levels of Enkomi-Alasia, may be dated with certainty, because of their archaeological and epigraphical context, to the begining of the reign of Ramses III and his contemporary, the king Hammurabi of Ugarit. These datings will be of great value for the absolute chronology of similar finds in Northern, Central and Southern Europe.

Cypriot archaeology offers here a new and important contribution to studies in the field of European Prehistory.

See page 3

Refugees on agenda for local talks

THE PRESIDENT of the House of Representatives, Mr Clerides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Denktash are due to meet tomorrow to resume their discussions aimed at solving the intercommunal problem.

The Turkish refugee problem is likely to be at the top of the day's agenda.

Mr Clerides will convey to Mr Denktash the government views on the matter, and it will then be up to the Turkish side to study them and give its reaction.

Yesterday Mr Clerides conferred with Foreign Minister Mr Spyros Kyprianou on the processing of various suggestions and conclusions reached during Friday's meeting of the special Ministerial committee dealing with the refugee problem.

The meeting, presided over by President Makarios, was attended by four Ministers and Mr Clerides.

It is understood that Mr Clerides and Mr Kyprianou may meet again today before tomorrow's talks.

«Co-existence»

Reliable sources indicated that the government's main concern is that rehabilitation is done in such a manner that peaceful co-existence is ensured, and at the same time conditions are not created for further «partitionist situations».

In view of the active interest shown by United Nations Secretary-General U Thant and other parties in the matter, it is likely that the Cyprus Government will put them in the picture about its proposals.

Turkish debate

Turkish papers said yesterday that the Turkish Cypriot Legislative Assembly passed a Bill regulating financial and economic aid to Turkish Cypriot refugees.

During the debate on the bill, it was stated, some members pointed out that the measure was far from satisfying the needs of the refugees, while other members stressed the need for an early return of Turkish Cypriots to their former villages wherever possible, and the creation of suitable conditions to make these people productive again.

According to Turkish papers, Dr Kuchuk received the U.N. Special Representative, Mr Osorio Tafall, and UNFICYP Commander General Prem Chand, but there was no indication whether the call was connected with the refugees or any other specific problem. (Reuter)

Middle East response to Jarring initiative

Cairo, Feb. 13

PRESIDENT Anwar Sadat conferred with top aides today on the Middle East situation in the light of Dr Gunnar Jarring's efforts to speed up progress towards a political settlement.

He called a meeting with the Prime Minister, Dr Mahmoud Fawzy, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad, the other Deputy Premiers Mr Sharawy Gomaa, Dr Aziz Sidky and Mr Sayed Marei, and the Minister of State for Presidential affairs Mr Sami Sharaf.

Mr Riad held further talks today with the Soviet Ambassador, Mr Vladimir Vinogradov.

The Egyptian Government is expected to reply early next week to Dr Jarring's request to the conflicting parties to put their demands for a peace settlement in concrete form and make a declaration for a peace settlement in concrete from and make a declaration of intents.

«Israeli campaign»

The Cairo Press said the Israelis were trying to start up a campaign against the U.N. envoy, by accusing him of over-stepping his mandate.

There is muted satisfactions here at the latest turn of political developments in New York, including the decision of the United States to take up with the Soviet Union, Britain and France the question of guarantees for a Middle East settlement.

Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Allon yesterday voiced reservations about Dr Jarring's reported initiative. He said Dr Jarring's mission was to promote agreement between the parties rather than act as an arbitrator.

Observers in Jerusalem feel Israel would probably be prepared to return the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, in return for a peace treaty between the two countries, with guarantees that the area would remain demilitarised.

(Reuter)

Today's weather

Fine and dry with increasing cloud. Winds: Light or variable, westerly. Temperatures: 13C (55F). Maximum yesterday: 15C (60F), previous night's minimum 2C (36F) at Nicosia Airport.

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