T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 409

To Hogarth Aleppo Sunday August 6 (1911) I have reached civilisation at last, and am vastly content with it. Night was horrible and a half. Have tramped nearly a month - Tell Ahmar, Seruj, Urfa, Harran, Seruj, Birijik, Rumm Kalaat, Tell Bashar, Jerablu&. Told Ahmar, Bab. Only I & didn't tramp in from Jerablu&, but rode & drove for I got dysen"ry, and felt like Leeds proverbial bullbag. At Jerablu& I found a letter of yours to Thompson which he had sent on for me to read. You emphasize the importance of the pal- ace:- most certainly that is the place. Thompson will have told you he went down inside the right-angle of great wall with dis- appointing results until the very before the last. Then we found a cross-wall & good floor inside, proving that there never had been anything just in the angle except perhaps a garden! We had only been uncovering the foundations and the true floor level lay &ometres in the neighbourhood of the top course of the wall. The palace was thus much raised above the street. The floor we found was a good one, of square cobble-stones. I should say a court or path, not a room. Thus we have there a great palace, most likely of Sangara for it is the last Hittite building in Carchemish (c.p. pottery) not ex- tending over much ground (it does not go far beyond those two rooms of the "hous't you photographed & left: they were really part of the palace) not at all deep (about a 3m. max.) fairly well preserved, for there is a good height of wall in your two rooms, and the stone-paved floors are there, and with very interesting pottery. Try & get a look at the rough notes I made on the "Palace * pottery, the two or three photographs of it, and the coloured drawing Thompson made of some pieces. These were not very accurate but will give a better idea than the photographs. I expect Fenyon will show you anything, but these are worth special note: if they are still in Thompson's hands you will have more trouble, for he is an absurdly jealous person, and is quite likely to say he must have D.G. authority first. However - A second season would clear all the place, and be a fairly satisfactory wind up to the dig. If they are left as at present it will only mean someone going on in a few years' time: and now i know 1375 of the pottery, and that the mohammedan period has not come. Surely the ground plan of the palace or Sangara would be a tolerable result? Or do they all want cuneiform? If I go tell them they might find some. I have had dysen"ry fight from .../after my tramp) and it has put ... an end to ideas of more walking this seaGon. I expect to be in England in a month & will come and see you. I fear I have no sub- stantial notes will lacked, for I asked all over Urfa district, & in 16 villages near Taanarl I saw nothing worth buying, but at