Letter from Megaw to Schaeffer with an inventory of objects on temporary exportArthur Hubert Stanley Megaw

No.36/36/2

Printed: Telephone No. 61

Printed: DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, CYPRUS.

Figure: Royal coat of arms (crest with crown and shield)

Nicosia, 17th December, 1949.

Handwritten: Dear Schaeffer,

I hope you have had a satisfactory visit to Ras Shamra and that the results have compensated for all the trouble you have had in getting back there.

There are a few Enkomi matters on which I have something to report.

Enkomi I. Dikaios is at work on his report and we have been going over some of the architectural problems together. He is dividing the chapter on his 1948-49 season into the following sections:

Introductory. Stratification (commentary on a few sections). Description of architectural remains. Description of the successive floors in certain individual rooms with short account of the pottery etc. found on each. Conclusion (chronology and recapitulation).

Pending receipt of any comments you may have he is continuing on the above lines.

To accelerate the preparatory study of the pottery, we have switched George and Michail temporarily (at our expense) to our material. We will see that they return to yours in time to have it ready for Forrer on his return.

Your finds taken on loan. The list attached to your permit was hurriedly, and I fear inaccurately copied from your manuscript list. As the former will be the basis of our checking when the objects are returned it is important to substitute an accurate list for the erroneous one.

I have therefore had the enclosed copy of the list attached to the permit (marked "A") corrected to accord with your manuscript list. But I hesitate to adopt your manuscript list as the operative one for the following reason.

At the time your finds were being packed the Museum Staff made an independent list from the numbers on the boxes. A copy of this list marked "B" is also enclosed. Comparison of the two lists produced the results set out on the document marked "C". From this you will see that according to your list you have taken a large number of items which were not recorded by the Museum Staff; on the other hand the Museum Staff noted from the boxes which were being packed some numbers which do not occur in your list.

I expect there is a simple explanation of these discrepancies, but to avoid any difficulties when the objects return to Cyprus I should be grateful if the consignment is checked on arrival at the Louvre. If you are then able to confirm that –

we shall then be able to adopt list "A" of which I have a copy,

[handwritten: /] [handwritten: /as]

Dr.C.F.A.Schaeffer, Ras Shamra, par l'Institut Francais d'Archeologie, B.P.14.2.4, Beyrouth.

Handwritten marginal note, left margin: Forrer returns to N.C. before Feb. ... (partly illegible)