Letter from Megaw to Schaeffer on progress with the objects found at EnkomiArthur Hubert Stanley Megaw

Printed: GOVERNMENT OF CYPRUS

Figure: coat of arms of the Government of Cyprus

Printed: DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, CYPRUS.

Tel. No.:

Our Ref.: 36/36/3

Your Ref.:

Nicosia, 18th October, 1952.

Dear Dr. Schaeffer,

Your letter of October 5th asking if we could lend a technician to help save your important ivory find and that of October 6th, which cancelled it, arrived by the same post. While I would have been glad to help if possible, I was rather relieved to hear you had got the assistance you required from Damascus; for our technician who deals with ivories is at present occupied with clearance work and re-erection of columns at Salamis.

I was sorry to hear of Pironnin's illness, and I understand that for you and your surviving assistants this important discovery will mean a lot of concentrated work, and that you have no alternative but to curtail your Enkomi campaign. When your revised plans are fixed, I should be glad to know when we may expect you here. I look forward to hearing then more news of the newly discovered south wing of the Palace of Ugarit and of its contents.

Professor Hjortsjo and his party have arrived and have already started work on the Enkomi skulls, but their main work here will be done next month when they return from their tour to Egypt and Syria, during which I understand they will see you. They arrive in Beirut on 24th October and return here on 28th.

The verdicts on our tablet fragment so far are: in favour of cuneiform are Dhorme and Gadd (British Museum), against this opinion is Virolleaud. If it does turn out to be cuneiform or some legible derivative it may give us useful information, but unfortunately it is terribly worn.

Dikaios also reports that Plenderleith is at work on the replicas of the silver bowl.

Yours sincerely,

Handwritten: signature

Dr.C.F.A.Schaeffer, M.A.,D.Litt., Mission de Ras Shamra, Minet-El-Beida Par Lattaquie (Syrie).

Handwritten: Arrai Friday afternoon poign making Mean Saturday morning if can you prevent please cable reply Schaeffer