DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.749#0016
ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION
11
Boston Museum of Fine Arts had set aside the sum of ^2000
for this purpose. But it soon appeared that the Ministry of
Public Instruction, in extreme pursuance of the principles
adopted shortly before, had determined to forbid the sale of
antiques to foreigners, as well as to prohibit the exportation
of all works of ancient art from the Ottoman Empire. No
proposals relative to the purchase of the Turkish share of the
objects discovered at Assos would be entertained, and the sum
voted by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts was therefore
unused.
In conformity with the thirty-second article of the code,
detailed lists of the antiques belonging to the American
share were made out and submitted to the customs officials of
Behram and of the Dardanelles, the chief station of the Vila-
yet. Export duties are levied by the Turks even upon frag-
ments of ancient works of art, eight per cent, being assessed
on the assumed value, the determination of which is, of
course, in such a case, altogether arbitrary.
While awaiting a decision in this matter, and the issue of
the teskere which would permit the removal of the antiques
belonging to the expedition, all the objects were packed in
wooden cases.
Every article belonging to the American share being
packed, the export duties paid, and the permission to remove
the cases having been received by telegraph from the customs
officials of the Dardanelles, Mr. Clarke left the site on the
14th of July, 1883. Mr. Bacon and Mr. Koldewey remained
for some time longer, in order to complete the detailed sur-
veys of the Street of Tombs and Agora.
Difficulties were subsequently raised by the Turkish offi-
cials in regard to the removal of the architectural fragments.
These consisted of a completed order from the great temple of
the Acropolis, the stump of an archaic column, and specimens
of various mouldings from the Street of Tombs, capitals from
the Stoa and Bath, and portions of the two chief mosaics of
the lower town. They had not been included in the division,
but had all been left to the Americans, as Baltazzi Bey did
not consider them of sufficient value to the Imperial Museum
to warrant the expense of carrying them to Constantinople.
After the local officers of the customs had permitted the ship-
ment of the other objects, they found a pretext for interference,
and stubbornly refused to allow the removal of those blocks,
because they had not been specified in the division lists. The
commissioner could not again be summoned to the site; and,
in spite of the repeated efforts of the Archaeological Institute
through the American Legation at Constantinople, nothing
has since been obtained but promises from the Director of
the Imperial Museum, and from the Minister of Public In-
struction, to whom the ultimate decision is referable.
The total cost of the investigations at Assos, including
every expenditure at all connected with the undertaking, from
November, 1880, until May, 1884, was $19,121.16.
Fig. 3. Western Entrance to Agora
Steps leading to Small Buildings at end of Stoa
11
Boston Museum of Fine Arts had set aside the sum of ^2000
for this purpose. But it soon appeared that the Ministry of
Public Instruction, in extreme pursuance of the principles
adopted shortly before, had determined to forbid the sale of
antiques to foreigners, as well as to prohibit the exportation
of all works of ancient art from the Ottoman Empire. No
proposals relative to the purchase of the Turkish share of the
objects discovered at Assos would be entertained, and the sum
voted by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts was therefore
unused.
In conformity with the thirty-second article of the code,
detailed lists of the antiques belonging to the American
share were made out and submitted to the customs officials of
Behram and of the Dardanelles, the chief station of the Vila-
yet. Export duties are levied by the Turks even upon frag-
ments of ancient works of art, eight per cent, being assessed
on the assumed value, the determination of which is, of
course, in such a case, altogether arbitrary.
While awaiting a decision in this matter, and the issue of
the teskere which would permit the removal of the antiques
belonging to the expedition, all the objects were packed in
wooden cases.
Every article belonging to the American share being
packed, the export duties paid, and the permission to remove
the cases having been received by telegraph from the customs
officials of the Dardanelles, Mr. Clarke left the site on the
14th of July, 1883. Mr. Bacon and Mr. Koldewey remained
for some time longer, in order to complete the detailed sur-
veys of the Street of Tombs and Agora.
Difficulties were subsequently raised by the Turkish offi-
cials in regard to the removal of the architectural fragments.
These consisted of a completed order from the great temple of
the Acropolis, the stump of an archaic column, and specimens
of various mouldings from the Street of Tombs, capitals from
the Stoa and Bath, and portions of the two chief mosaics of
the lower town. They had not been included in the division,
but had all been left to the Americans, as Baltazzi Bey did
not consider them of sufficient value to the Imperial Museum
to warrant the expense of carrying them to Constantinople.
After the local officers of the customs had permitted the ship-
ment of the other objects, they found a pretext for interference,
and stubbornly refused to allow the removal of those blocks,
because they had not been specified in the division lists. The
commissioner could not again be summoned to the site; and,
in spite of the repeated efforts of the Archaeological Institute
through the American Legation at Constantinople, nothing
has since been obtained but promises from the Director of
the Imperial Museum, and from the Minister of Public In-
struction, to whom the ultimate decision is referable.
The total cost of the investigations at Assos, including
every expenditure at all connected with the undertaking, from
November, 1880, until May, 1884, was $19,121.16.
Fig. 3. Western Entrance to Agora
Steps leading to Small Buildings at end of Stoa