Evening star., 1927-10-23
GREEKS OPPOSING
EXCAVATION PLANS
Natives Living Over Famous
Ruins Refuse to Sell, Hop
ing for Big Prices.
BY DREW PEARSON.

Modern Greeks who live over the
ruins of ancient Athens are up in
arms against American archeologists
who want to delve into the most fas-
cinating page in history which lies
beneath them.
The issue was brought to a head
last week when gift of S2,250,000 for
the excavation of these ruins was an
nounced on behalf of an anonymous
American by Col. Arthur Woods, for
mer police commissioner of New York.
Probably the chief objections behind
the opposition of Athenian house
holders Is a higher price for their
property. But at any rate they have
organized a Home Preservation AS
sociation and are determined to thrash
the matter out in the courts. AS a
result the work of excavation cannot
begin before 1929.
Meanwhile the area under which
they live contains treasures which
may rewrite the history books of the
world. No other spot In Greece.
probably no other spot in the world,
is so rich in opportunities to fill out
the pages of ancient Athenian history.
The rest of Greece has been dug over
fairly thoroughly. Even most of the
city of Athens has been delved into,
except for this one area, the Agora,
which was the market place of the
ancient city. This has been guarded
by the stubborn opposition of 10000
people who live over it and who re.
fuse to move.
Greatest Ruins at Stake.
In this much disputed area now
covered by nondescript dwellings, the
greatest buildings of Athens were
II I1.so
Some of these still jut above the
surface, but for the most part, the
wastage of the centuries has filled
the Agora with earth. Turkish and
Byzantine buildings lie nearest the
surface, sometimes above 1t. Ten feet
below this is the Roman period, un-
der which is the Hellenistic. or con-
Meeting period, IL to IA feet deep.
Lowest of all are the ancient monu-
ments of the purely Hellenic age.
Within the Agora is the Roual
Stoa where Socrates was first ar
raigned and the prison where he
drank the fateful hemlock; also the
temples of Zeus, Ares and Aphrodite.
Here met the court of Areopagus,
within which archeologists expect to
find the first drafts of the early laws
of Athens.
Over this area, once the center OF
the worlds culture and government,
there now runs maze OF crooked
streets, threaded between little red
rooted houses. In the masonry OF
their walls can be seen stones mark
ed with the tools of ancient civili-
cations. About the backyards, a
visitor who is trusted can see virtual
museums of antiquities dug up from
the gardens and kept illicitly, for the
Greek law now provides that all such
antiquities so to the government.
Thronged With Tourists.
Donkeys. street urchins and beg
gars crowd against classic monu-
ments. Every third house is cafe,
with wine tables filling the dusty
sidewalk in front of 1t. Show lane,
famous for it's coins and other antiq
uities. is crowded with American
tourists. And all of these modern in
stitutions of Athens oppose the Amer
lean spade, which threatens to upset
the dusty drowsiness of its life.
Under the terms Of the agreement
between Prof. Edward Capps of Prince.
ton, who initiated the project, and
the Greek government the latter is
obligated to buy the land on which
InGSG AUtUUV DCORiC lNC. "AAA
quire at least 81, ,00O,0 900 and has been
estimated as high as $3,000,000. This
alone Is something of stumbling
block in the path of excavation prog,
ress, for the Greek government in
the first place has not an overfiowinS
treasury, while the property owners
in the second place, are holding out
for high prices.
Dazzled by dreams of American
gold, they have banded together and
retained expert attorneys for the bat
tie in the courts. By law they are
allowed eight months notice before re-
quired to abandon their property. but
this period does not begin until after
the test cases have been decided.
Moreover it is doubtful If the court
will require them to move unless they
are adequately paid for their property
and it is doubtful if the Greek gov
ernment is prepared to do this any
time soon. For several years the gov
ernment has postponed the money
issue, feeling safe in the belief that
American archeologists would be
long time in raising their share
81, ,OO0, 900. Now that $2.250,000 has
tumbled down unexpectedly to them,
it Is not likely to come Immediately.