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Famagusta, island of Cyprus. Cyprus. 26 November 1947.
My dear Master and Friend,
I hope you have received my letter from Damascus with the good news of my journey in northern Syria. I am now in the middle of my excavations at Enkomi, which are continuing with very satisfactory results. Before my arrival, Coche and the architects had cleared, as I had indicated to them, the southern enceinte of the city. They were able to establish its course over a length of nearly 300 metres. The work is very well laid out, built of cyclopean blocks and reinforced by square towers reaching a thickness of 5 metres. At present we are clearing the northern quarter of the city, which is in excellent state of preservation, with three superimposed levels of habitation. One of these buildings, built of fine ashlar, seems to have been used as a sanctuary. In a loculus made in the wall we found a hoard of bronze objects containing several weapons, a collection of tools and a kind of sceptre surmounted by birds in the round.
The weather is still favourable, cool, and the few showers have not hindered the excavations. I think the work may continue until the middle of December. I shall leave from here in a fortnight for Turkey to take up the resumption of excavations at Malatya and give some courses at the University. Before returning at the end of the year, I think I can make a short trip to Palestine to see the results of the excavations at Fara and make the division of the finds of 1946.
The mail from the Secretariat of Excavations follows me here, but there seems to be no difficulty regarding the measures agreed with the Finance Department before my departure.
Dikaios asks me to convey to you his respectful regards. All the staff of the Mission, Madame Schaeffer and my daughter are very well and are at present helping with the collection of pottery in the area. An intact tomb of the beginning of the Late Bronze has given us a fine series of vessels of the 16th and early 15th century. Buried more deeply than the rest of the city, this northern quarter promises an interesting and instructive excavation.
I shall see Seyrig before my return and tell him the pleasure I had in seeing his Institute function in such a satisfactory way and become the archaeological centre of Beirut.
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