300 - Xerxes Leaves His Palace

Xerxes had a beautiful palace at Persepolis which was massively damaged. Some of the destruction occurred from natural causes, but this photograph reveals the face of the Great King (shown as he leaves the palace) was deliberately attacked.

The large hole, at his right ear, may have been related to an ancient stone-quarry practice used to blow stone to pieces. A chunk of cork, wetted with vinegar, would be lodged into a space where heat could cause the cork to expand. The expanding cork would press against the stone, ultimately causing it to break apart. Here, it appears that a hole was made, for that purpose, but the cork and vinegar were not used.