Letter from Schaeffer to Megaw on disagreements with Dikaios over dating and stratigraphyClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer

Continued from scan 1

… in many respects, have given me new reasons to doubt the late date you propose.

In order to exclude any possible mistake which __S__ would be serious on a site of such historical importance and so much exposed to scrutiny and criticisme, as you know, I proposed to Dik. to make more digging in the deeper layers of the building before fixing the date. In any case, stratigraphical research is only be of safe chronological significance if digging down to virgin soil on sufficient a scale to detect clearly all any possible intrusions. The job on your dig, as you know, is not finished, far from it; a further campaign, this year, especially undertaken to explore the lowest levels would provide you certainly with more material to study the delicate chronological problem.

This is a delay of only a few months worth while compared with the gain in information and security in conclusions. At that time you would also have at your disposal the report of my parallel dig of last autumn.

I hope you will agree to this proposition of mine which I make after careful thinking over the problems presented by a site of such exceptionnel complexity.

I would be glad to receive an early answer and send you & Dik. meantime my best souvenirs.

Yours sincerely

P.S. The unpacking of the statuettes and the material showed that all is in good condition. I'll now consult the technician about the possibility to clean the bronze figures. - On the other hand I would be grateful to you to have the British Embassy in Paris

[margin left, written sideways: instructed to undertake the transfer to the B. Mus. of the large bronze ~of T. 2.~ They told me here I would have to wait for another B. M. courier for Cyprus (similar to the arrangement of the arrival to get this done. orders from London. I would of course be grateful to get the piece from London myself, but I can't go to Engl. before editing is done.]