Parthenon Once a Riot of Color Parthenon Once a Riot of Color
CREDIT: public domain If the ancient Greeks sold kitschy
postcards to tourists 2,000 years ago, they would have depicted
much different views of the popular sites that visitors flock to
today. Archaeologists say many of the stony ruins looked much
different in their prime. Many were brightly painted in hues
that have faded with time and, in some cases, with forced
removal. The Parthenon in Athens was once covered in colorful
splashes of paint, for example. It has long been known that the
formidable marble temple, which sits atop the capital city’s
Acropolis citadel, had been painted. New tests, performed by
Greek archaeologist and chemical engineer Evi Papakonstantinou-
Zioti, confirm the use of brilliant shades of red, blue and
green. Traces of the colors were found during a laser cleaning
done as part of ongoing restorations to the temple, built in 432
B.C. Simple weathering caused the colors to fade over time, said
Sara Orel, associate professor