Letter from Megaw to Schaeffer with the "Draft Communiqué"Arthur Hubert Stanley Megaw

Printed: Department of Antiquities letterhead with royal crest

No. 36/36/2.

TELEPHONE No. XX

DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, CYPRUS.

Nicosia, 10th December 1948.

Dear Dr. Schaeffer,

Many thanks for your letter of 19th November which arrived just after I cabled to you. We are sorry not to see you here again this season, but quite understand that you will want to spend as much time as possible at Ras Shamra, now that you have permission to return there.

Coche seemed to get through a great deal in the short time he was here and carried off a further collection of sherds on loan for study in Paris. Our draughtsman did a number of drawings for him (free of charge of course) and Kakoullis took various photographs for which he had to meet only the cost of developing and printing.

He also warned Dikaios that he should be prepared for disappointment in the areas by the Maison des Bronzes trench. Yeorgho then pressed very strongly the claims of the field between the 'chantier des ateliers' and your big north trench. In this he thought that there had been much less disturbance than elsewhere. Reference to your plan in "Missions en Chypre" confirmed this at least as far as previous expeditions are concerned. Hence my second cable. We were very grateful for your prompt and favourable reply.

I visited Dikaios at Engomi yesterday. All was going well and he had had no serious bad weather interruptions. Unfortunately since my return to Nicosia it has rained almost continuously. He has opened a long trench down the slope between the two existing trenches and about equidistant from them. The principal features so far are some good masonry blocks dug about the middle of the trench and many pits dug by village treasure-hunters. He has opened out eastward from the central part of the trench and for a start is going down to the sub-Mycenean level only. He has upwards of 50 men and 4 carts at present and with this number should open up a considerable area before Christmas if the weather improves.

We lately received your £400 and are pressing ahead with the transfer of the properties, which I hope will be completed so far as the initial programme is concerned by the end of the year.

My wife joins in best wishes to you both.

Your sincerely,

Handwritten: signature

Dr. C. F. A. Schaeffer, M.A. D.Litt., c/o Institut Français d'Archéologie, B.P. 14.24, Beyrouth.