Page "Arthur Evans" Paragraph 53

Archaeologists from the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy were in attendance at the site watching the progress, so to speak, of " the sick man of Europe ," a metaphor of the dying Ottoman Empire.

The various pashas, eager not to offend the native Cretan parliament, were encouraging foreigners to apply for a firman to excavate, and then not granting any.

The Cretans were afraid of the Ottomans ' removing any artifacts to Istanbul.

The Ottoman method of stalling was to require any would-be excavators to buy the site from its native owners first.

The owners in turn were coached to charge so much money that none would think it worthwhile to apply in such uncertain circumstances.

Even the wealthy Schliemann had given up on the price in 1890 and had gone home to die in that year.