Two letters from Schaeffer to Dikaios and Megaw on funding after the franc devaluationClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer

Le Castel Blanc, 14 Rue Turgot, St.Germain-en-Laye, (Seine et Oise). 15 March 1948.

Dear friend,

I have just written to Megaw about my plans for this year. I hope we shall see each other again in October and November, unless you are in France at that time. Tell me your plans in this regard; you no doubt know that the first international post-war congress of Orientalists will take place in Paris at the end of July. I enclose a circular. Perhaps you will be able to arrange to come to Paris at that time.

On the other hand, you know that archaeological Mélanges are to be presented to Charles Picard, and I believe I recall that you attended his lectures. Perhaps you would be glad to contribute to these Mélanges. I have written to Demargne so that he may inform you. Contributions must not exceed 8 printed pages in the format of the Revue archéologique.

I am in the course of preparing the publication of the weights from Ras Shamra, and the idea has occurred to me to publish in Picard's Mélanges the few weights found at Enkomi this year and in previous years. I would like to add, if you permit, the few weights in the Nicosia Museum which, by their form and the circumstances of their discovery, can be dated with certainty to the Bronze Age, that is to say the 3rd and 2nd millennium. I exclude later weights. I know of course the examples published by Myres in the Cesnola Collection, and those partly doubtful, in the Myres and Richter catalogue. You do not mention them, it seems to me, in your guide; at least they are not dealt with in the index. If it does not cause you too much work, I should be grateful if you would give me the list of the weights in your museum, weighed if possible on a precision balance in grammes, to the centigramme. To simplify matters I enclose a sketch with the most usual forms, of which you will only need to cite the figures. Please also indicate the materials: haematite, bronze, marble, stone (limestone or hard).

I hope that Madame Dikaios and your little daughter are well. Please present to her my respectful homage, with the good wishes of Madame Schaeffer and my daughter.

Mr P. Dikaios, Curator of the Nicosia Museum, Island of Cyprus.