Letter from Schaeffer to Megaw on the teams employed on the excavation siteClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer

Enkomi Expedition, Famagusta, 22 Sept. 1946.

Dear Mr Megaw,

Thank you for your letter of Sept. 18th, and the proposal it contains. As you see from the draft communique enclosed, we have now found intact floors of a postmycenaean or subMycenaean town with typical pottery of the ending XIIIth and XIIth cent. The Mycenaean town beneath has three strata with succeeding floors. Below, we found the first remains of the expected middle Bronze Age town and yesterday an intact, but modest tomb of this period.

I would prefer to say nothing in the communique about the labour trouble- [handwritten: ?] [illegible] I have now definitely broken with the old fashioned system of man and woman equipe, which produces only 3 1/2 two minimum 4 hours work a day at the cost of 15 sh a day each couple. After discussion with the Trade Unions leaders whom I had invited to see the system on the spot, I have now introduced a normal system of men working with pick and shovel 7 hours a day, with 8 hours presence, at 11 sh pay. After the first day, the men are very satisfied with the system. I employ also some young women for the lighter work of resifting earth where necessary, but also on the 7 hours per day work system and 9 sh pay. There is much improved discipline on the dig and it is easier to observe. All people are working or resting together and there is no longer half of them sitting about during the work talking together. By offering high pay, I also got younger and strong men willing to make an effort. I had to depart from those old couples of over 60 who formerly contributed to the dig the atmosphere of a patriarchal family , sympathetic but slow.

What concerns the proposal of a joint Expedition in future at Enkomi, I welcome it very much and we shall discuss the matter later. The proposal, I feel, needs to be adjusted. As I myself interested in the postmycenaean period (I have reason to doubt the accepted date of 1200 or 1180 as the end of the Mycenaean period and end of Troy which probably shifts upwards) I would not like to separate the exploration of this period from the work on the preceding periods (technically difficult if not impossible on the spot) and hand over the study to a separate publication! There would be much to be gained in a collaboration through all the 4 or 5 strata identified uptill now.

I hope this will come about after our talk and that we can obtain the concurrence of our respective authorities for the scheme.

Handwritten: Please give my best regards to Mrs Megaw at Athens.

Handwritten: Yours sincerely

Handwritten: signature

Mr A. H. S. Megaw Director of the Department of Antiquities Nicosia

[handwritten: P.S. I received a [illegible] from the Governor. I wish to know [illegible] of the work. Sorry [illegible] I shall [illegible] 7 days. Please [illegible] to Mr Blake tells me.]