Correspondence between Schaeffer and Karageorghis on the 1972 Cyprus colloquiumClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer and Vassos Karageorghis

Cyprus / Enk. 1971 / (Nicosia)[printed: ΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ]

DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, NICOSIA.

5th August, 1972

Dear Professor Schaeffer,

I was under the impression that all members of the Mycenaean Symposium left Cyprus very pleased with the organization (which was not at all easy) and almost all of them wrote kind letters when they returned to their countries. I remember that you yourself expressed on several occasions your satisfaction, when you were here and shortly before you departed. I am naturally surprised to see now, after four months, that your feelings in writing are completely different from those expressed orally. I do regret it, because had you expressed these feelings orally when you were here I could have answered your complaints and not let you keep in your mind all these grievances for so long.

I must start by saying that I found it a bit strange when, on the day of our inaugural ceremony, early in the morning, when you visited my office, you made to me some very strong remarks about my dating of the Late Bronze Age, my ideas about Alasia etc. etc., and the fact that I take sides on this with Catling and Desborough. I explained to you that my ideas in archaeology are based entirely upon my own researches and excavations. I also explained to you that differences in the scholarly field never influence in any way my personal relations with my colleagues. In fact with Dr. Catling we have some very big differences on matters of archaeological interpretation, but this does not prevent me from being linked with him with a long and solid friendship.

You complain because there was no discussion after your talk the last day of the Congress. I thought the reason was obvious to you after the polemics of the day we were at Enkomi, when a group of archaeologists, including myself, were attacked in a way which made a very bad impression on all participants. But of course we did not silence the members of the Symposium, anyone who wanted to comment on your talk could have done it freely. Your chairman did not lack either intelligence or personality to act appropriately if there was something wrong.

With regard to the visit to Enkomi I am afraid I had to follow the prescribed schedule, having the responsibility of the organization. If you feel that I wanted to put forward my own work by showing Salamis first after lunch at Salamis, I regret I have to tell you that this is a mistake. We stayed until dark at Enkomi, there was ample time for a discussion - if there was rain before I fear that I do not have anything to do with the weather - god. You must have observed that as soon as you started attacking scholars personally Professor Marinatos left immediately. Then several other scholars followed him. I was among the last to leave. When I reached the bus, there were up there about twenty people in the bus, anxious to leave. As you very well remember, even your own successor felt that he had to leave, as you state in your letter. I thought it ought to have been appreciated that next day we sent a bus to Enkomi with people who wanted to hear more about the site.

....../2