Correspondence between Megaw and Schaeffer on payments to Forrer, works for the excavation house, bronze restorations and Enkomi IArthur Hubert Stanley Megaw and Claude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer

28 April 1950

No. 36/36/2 [printed: TELEPHONE No. 61]

Printed: DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, CYPRUS

Figure: Cyprus government crest/coat of arms; labels: none

Nicosia, 28th April, 1950.

Handwritten: Dear Schaeffer,

Thanks for your letters of 18th March and 17th April. I also opened yours to Dikaios of the latter date in case there was something in it requiring early attention. He is now in Greece trying to see some of the later Mycenae pottery on his way back from the Florence Conference. I had an interesting time with Wace at Hermopolis. Unfortunately I contracted paratyphoid on my return, but am back at work again now.

Your account. No cheque having arrived I am making use of the note to your bank which you kindly sent. This credit will more than cover present requirements.

Enkomi Excavation House. Unfortunately the contractor for the two little rooms turned out to be incompetent. We are therefore finishing the job ourselves. I hope that no increase in cost will result.

Stylianou's Bronze implements etc. I have given instructions for cleaning to stop pending consultation on your next visit. The intention was to see if any of them had inscriptions, for this would affect our attitude in the question of their exportation. 12 pieces out of a total of 35 have been cleaned/resulting in 1 inscription and 1 sign.

/already

Enkomi I. Dikaios finished his contributions before he left and I have nearly finished going through them. It seems that when I last wrote I was guilty of suggestions regarding the location of the 15th-14th century buildings which his evidence does not justify. For I find he gives prominence to the discovery of LC I & II remains - albeit scanty - in the few soundings made below the lowest floor of his building. Certainly, as you suggest, the picture of the earlier levels should be much clearer when they have been fully excavated in our next season, and at present it is best to refer to them with great reserve.

Meanwhile Dikaios' presentation of the building and what has been found in it up to date - so far as I have read - is quite objective and my only fear is that it is too detailed. He has prepared plates illustrating very fully the pottery sequence on the various successive floors of particular sections. The total number of plates he has prepared, including plans and sections and the publication of the statue, is 75. This is I think about double the number envisaged when the matter was discussed with you. The text is proportionately longer than I foresaw. I am anxious about this for two reasons: first lest it upset the balance of the Volume as you had planned it, and secondly lest by increasing the proportion of the total cost to be borne by us the amount payable exceeds what is available. I realise we cannot expect detailed estimates until the material is in the printers' hands, but it would be helpful to have your comments on the new scale of illustration proposed before we send the material off.

Dr.C.F.A.Schaeffer, M.A.,D.Litt., c/o Archaeological Institute of America, Andover Hall, Cambridge 38, Massachusetts.

Handwritten: Our

Stamp/handwritten date at top right: 28 April 1950