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TributesandTabulaGratulatoria
DearPiotr,
Mythoughtsatthistimerunbacktoyourfirstforayintoexcavationsinthe
Orient,whenyoujoinedtheteamexcavatinginPalmyra.Wewerebothyoung
then(althoughyouwereyounger)andwejoinedforcesin1974todiscoverthe
templeofAllat.Imustsaythatthethreeseasonsthatyouweretherewerethe
mostimportantones.IrememberhowyouescortedthestatueofAthenatothe
localmuseum,ridingacartpulledbyadonkeyandIhavepictureswhereyour
sheathknife(unfortunatelylostlaterduringanairportsecuritycheck)marks
thenorth.Ihavevividmemoriesofourdiscussionsoftheday’seventsover
aglassofarrackontheterraceofourexcavationhouse,wherethepresenceof
ourgreatpredecessorswasstillverytangible.
TheoriginsofurbancivilizationintheNearEastwerealreadythenatthe
centerofyourinterestsandyoufoundtheminthoseKearthsections”,rather
neglectedthenbythearchaeologistswhodeemedthemselvesClassicists,and
whichyougaveextensiveattentiontoinyourdoctoraldissertation.Withsuch
researchinterests,itwasonlynaturalthatyoureyesfellonMesopotamia,that
landdividednowbetweenSyriaandIraq,tothestudyofwhichyoudedicated
thenextthirtyyearsofyourlife.Elsewhereinthisvolumearethenamesofall
thedifferenttellsthatyouinvestigated,includingthelastandmostimportant
one,TellArbid,whereyoufollowedinthefootstepsofnootherthanMax
Mallowan.Ihadthepleasureoncetospendaneveningbythefountain,which
hasgiventhisvolumeitstitle,andpartakeofthegeneroushospitalityofyour
mission.
WhenyoutookthehelmofthePolishCentreofMediterraneanArchaeology
fromme,Iknewwewereingoodhands.Theinstitutionhasgrownimmensely
sinceitsfoundingbyKazimierzMichałowski,whowasaMasterforbothofus.
Youfacedanextremechallengeduringyourterminoffice.YourexcavationatTell
Arbid,likemyprojectinPalmyra,werebrutallyinterruptedbywar.Youfound
adifferentplace,firstinKuwaitand,recently,inOman.Iwishyoustillmany
yearsthere(perhapsagaininIraq?)andmanyevenmoreinterestingdiscoveries.
MichałGawlikowski
FormerDirector,PolishCentreofMediterraneanArchaeology
UniversityofWarsaw
10
Storiestoldaroundthefountain