▁site ▁was ▁left ▁a ▁ru in ▁for ▁ 3 3 ▁years . ▁One ▁argument ▁involves ▁the ▁o ath ▁sw orn ▁by ▁the ▁Greek ▁al lies ▁before ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁Pl ata ea ▁in ▁ 4 7 9 ▁BC ▁declaring ▁that ▁the ▁san ctu aries ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁re built , ▁an ▁o ath ▁the ▁A then ians ▁were ▁only ▁absol ved ▁from ▁with ▁the ▁Peace ▁of ▁Cal lias ▁in ▁ 4 5 0 . ▁The ▁m und ane ▁fact ▁of ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁re construct ing ▁Ath ens ▁after ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁s ack ▁is ▁at ▁least ▁as ▁likely ▁a ▁cause . ▁However ▁the ▁exc av ations ▁of ▁Bert ▁H odge ▁Hill ▁led ▁him ▁propose ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁second ▁Par then on ▁begun ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁Kim on ▁after ▁ 4 6 8 ▁BC . ▁Hill ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁K arr ha ▁lim estone ▁step ▁D ör pf eld ▁took ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁highest ▁of ▁Par then on ▁I ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁the ▁lowest ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁steps ▁of ▁Par then on ▁II ▁whose ▁sty lob ate ▁dimensions ▁Hill ▁calculated ▁to ▁be ▁ 2 3 . 5 1 x 6 6 . 8 8 8 m . ▁ ▁One ▁difficulty ▁in ▁d ating ▁the ▁proto ‐ Par then on ▁is ▁that ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁exc av ation ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁method ▁of ▁ser iation ▁was ▁not ▁fully ▁developed : ▁the ▁care less ▁dig ging ▁and ▁ref illing ▁of