Letter from Schaeffer to the Secretary General of the Commission des Fouilles on ending the Enkomi excavations and talks with the Syrian Antiquities director in DamascusClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer

Ras Shamra ENKOMI FRENCH ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSION Beirut, 16 October 1946.

Sir, the Secretary General of the Commission des Fouilles Directorate General of Cultural Relations Paris

I am returning from Damascus and Palestine and report to you here 1. on the end of the excavations at Enkomi, 2. on my talks with the Directorate of Antiquities of Syria at Damascus concerning the excavations of Ras Shamra and Mari, 3. on my inspection of the excavations at Fara in Palestine.

1. The end of the excavations at Enkomi.- The research during the last two weeks of excavation only completed the results reported in my report of 30 September. The succession of five superimposed levels, one of the early Iron, three of Late Bronze and one of Middle Bronze, has been confirmed. The clearing of part of the enclosure has made it possible to appreciate the importance of the work. The outer face is built of cyclopean blocks, some of which exceed 3 m in length by 2 m in height. They were detached from the cliff overlooking the town on the east side.

We have also found the remains of the enclosure on the north side. The limits of the town are therefore now known except on the west side. The enclosure must here probably have followed an arm of water which joins the Paedeios here. All the produce of the excavations has been transported to the Nicosia Museum, where the repair of the vessels and the conservation of the bronzes will be taken care of. The objects will then be divided in equal shares between the Museum and the Mission.

Before leaving the island, I gave a lecture at the Nicosia Museum on the research at Enkomi. The Governor of the island, Sir Charles Woolley, came to visit the excavations.

The Directorate of Antiquities of Cyprus handed me a memorandum concerning the joint excavation project reported in my last report. It specifies the terms of participation of the service according to my suggestions. I will speak to you about it, as well as to the Commission.

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