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Draft Communiqué.
Department since the war.
Following the recent announcement that the Department of Antiquities is joining with the French Mission in the exploration of the Late Bronze Age site at Engomi, excavations were resumed there at the beginning of December.
As Dr. Schaeffer, Director of the French Mission, is unable to return to Cyprus during the present season, Mr. P. Dikaios, Curator of the Cyprus Museum is in charge on behalf of the Department of Antiquities. Work is in progress in a new area towards the north of the site, which has been allocated to the Department. Here, although there has been a good deal of disturbance by village treasure-hunters, the first trenches have encountered remains of substantial buildings. The area thus promises to yield interesting results, though at present the work is not proceeding below the sub-Mycenaean level.
These excavations, on which over 50 labourers are employed, are the first major undertaking of the /Department
Handwritten: marginal ghosted text: "CYPRUS. Nicosia, 9th December, 1948." and "Department since the war." appear as faint show-through from the reverse side
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain