Letter·34 CDF art. 176·1956

Correspondence between Schaeffer and Megaw on the division and continuation of the excavationsClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer and Arthur Hubert Stanley Megaw

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Handwritten in English and French. Every line is transcribed, and the text sits beside the scan.

Scan 5 of letter 34 CDF art. 176 (Correspondence between Schaeffer and Megaw on the division and continuation of the excavations), handwritten in English and French. The transcription follows.

Scan: Collège de France, Paris, 34 CDF art. 176, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Unnumbered pageScan 5 of 10

[margin top: for the Enkomi material in the Khan to be transferred for saison to the Museum. In order not to complicate space rooms there I would like to tell you, that owing to the new conditions prevailing in Syria, I cannot decide yet if I have to excavate first in Ras Shamra & afterwards in Enk. or the other way [stamp: 91] round. So there is no hurry. But as soon as I am fixed I shall write to you. Thanks again. Yours C. Schaeff.] Pardigon, par Cavalaire / Mer (Var), 1 August 1956.

Dear Mr. Megaw, This is very sad news. The Ktima vases which your Department has alloted to the French Mission have arrived mostly broken due to careless packing. I send you a copy of J. Berard's report I have received; it really is a disaster. - Please have the matter investigated & tell me if you think you could from your great reserves in the museum allot another collection of vases of the Ktima type & period to repair some of the loss.

When your Department after my prewar excavations with Dikaios at Bellapais and my first discoveries at Enkomi had packed & sent me some 20 caisses with hundreds of fragile vases, all arrived safely. It can be done. And I have myself packed & dispatched to the Louvre the ceramic material from 12 seasons of excavations at Ras Shamra with scarcely any casualties during the journey. I am sure you & Dikaios will study the possibility to help Berard who is really discouraged. Also the envisaged contribution of the Louvre to further excavations in Cyprus will be lost, if the damage is not repaired.

I am looking forward to see you in autumn. Let's hope that the new disturbance created by Nasser's high handed action will not upset the fragile equilibrium in the N. East and involve the island in further complications. - Please give my kind regards & the best souvenirs from my wife to Mrs. Megaw, "saluez" Dikaios from me and believe me, dear Mr. Megaw, Yours sincerely C. Schaeffer.

P.S. Before closing this message, I receive your letter of July 28th. Thank you for the collecting of the Vounous material to be shipped to Stewart later on. - I also would be grateful

Margin right, written sideways: I am leaving Paris, Sept. 14th & arrive in Beyr. Sept. 20th (Instit. Fr. d'Arch., B.P. 1424).

65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain

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