Archaeology in Greece, 1899–1900

It is satisfactory to be able to begin this report by announcing important additions to the equipment of three of the Athenian Schools. The German Institute was able to inaugurate its spacious new library at a special meeting held on March 12 to celebrate the completion of its twenty-fifth year. The British School has received from Mr. W. H. Cooke, nephew and joint-heir of the late George Finlay, the library of some 5,000 volumes, together with the bookshelves and antiquities, which had remained untouched in the historian's house in the ῾Οδὸς ῾Αδριανοῦ since his death in 1875. And M. Homolle is drawing up the plans for an annexe which will enable the French School to extend its hospitality to students from Belgium, Russia and other countries which have no archaeological headquarters in Athens.The excavations on the north side of the Acropolis have been suspended. The Archaeological Society is spending large sums each year upon the repairs to the Parthenon, and is also buying up houses, when opportunities occur, with a view to continuing the excavations on the site of the ancient Agora. One great undertaking, upon which the Society has been engaged at intervals for upwards of forty years, has been brought to a successful conclusion. The Stoa of Attalos is now completely cleared and from being one of the most bewildering it has become one of the most intelligible of Athenian monuments. Great credit is due to Mr. Mylonas, who has been in charge of the work for the last two years. The Archaeological Society has recently published a first instalment of the late Dr. Lolling's Catalogue of Inscriptions, and a volume on Epidaurus by Dr. Kavvadias. These are to be followed at intervals by other archaeological books. The third, which is in the press, is a history of the doings of the Society from its foundation to the year 1900. Its income and practical usefulness have increased immensely during the past five years. The Society has recently lost one of its best-known members in Stephanos Kumauudes, who was for thirty-six years its secretary and for many years keeper of its antiquities, now merged in the national museum. He was an honorary member of the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, and author of a well-known volume of sepulchral inscriptions.