ATHENS, Greece — I have concluded that one of tbe world’s ancient wonders is permanently “scarred” by the presence of scaffolding.

The Parthenon was built in Athens five centuries before Jesus’s birth. It has been bombarded, used as a depot for explosive ordnance and has fallen victim to the ravages of time.

Today I made my fourth trip to see Parthenon and was disappointed yet again by the site of scaffolding inside and outside the structure.

None of the guides showing the antiquity to the public could answer my question: Does the scaffolding ever come down? Ever?

I know that a 2,800-year-old structure needs humankind’s TLC. I am now believing the love and care it gets from humanity is a permanent fixture among the ruins.