French excavations in CyprusÉtienne Coche de La Ferté

A French archaeological mission directed by Mr Claude Schaeffer, Curator of the National Museums and Director of the Recherche Scientifique, was able to devote a second campaign in 1947 of excavations at the site of Enkomi in Cyprus (1). Whereas until now, attention had been paid only to the tombs, an entire city prehistoric is in the process of being uncovered [handwritten: ʌʌ], whose foundations redate back to the Middle Bronze Age, to the end of the third or to the beginning of the second millennium B.C.; the last period of occupation of the city falls at the beginning of the Iron Age, around the 12th century B.C. Four main levels are stacked between these two limits, divided by destruction layers.

During the excavations of October and November 1947 an important section of the fortifications that surrounded the Mycenaean city and submerged was cleared over a length of about 260 metres, towards the south of the site. It is formed of large blocks of rock, some measuring 3 metres in diameter, buttressed with rubble; several quadrangular bastions mark the enceinte and clearly give it a military and defensive character. In this area, a quarter adjoining the ramparts was also cleared. On a level dating from the Middle Bronze III, there is superimposed a large residence constituted in Late Bronze III, remodelled several times at the end of this period and in the following period, after the fall of the Mycenaean civilisation, during the beginnings of the Iron Age. Two sub-levels are stacked sbies during this last phase. The finds that were made in the field of pottery will allow the transition from the late Mycenaean style to the sub-Mycenaean and the evolution of the latter up to the eve of the emergence of Protogeometric decoration. A child's tomb of the Middle Bronze Age, two rectangular tombs, constructed of rubble, of the Iron Age, were found as everywhere at Enkomi, closely bound up with the houses.

Towards the north of the city, the extension of a sounding opened in 1946 was carried out, in a quarter where the two intermediate levels - those of the Late Bronze I and of the beginning of III - are better represented than in the zone of the ramparts. The Middle Bronze level is not equally present there. The later layer, of the sub- Mycenaean period, is found there sporadically. An important building of ashlar was almost entirely cleared: it contained in a prepared hiding place under a cemented floor, a "treasure" of objects of bronze among which a small sceptre of very great interest both from the archaeological and the historical point of view. One can, with regard to it, call to mind the Mycenaean kingdoms of Cyprus, of which in the present absence of inscriptions coming from Enkomi, one still does not know how to establish the precise relation with our site. Tombs, some of which intact, belonging to the different levels have here too been uncovered [handwritten: ʌʌ] .

(1) The Mission also included an architect, Mr F. Pironin and the author of this note. In 1947 a second architect, Mr W. Porter and a secretary, Miss O. Schaeffer, were added to the staff of the Mission.