Italian art conservationists have restored two funeral busts from the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria. The limestone busts date from the second or third century A.D. The statues were badly damaged by members of the Islamic State group during fighting in the area.
Restorers in Rome used a 3-D printer to generate replicas of the missing parts of the busts. They attached the replacement parts with magnets.
Palmyra was once an important cultural center of the ancient world. Its art and architecture blended several civilizations—including Greek, Roman, and Persian.
After Palmyra fell to Islamic State militants in 2015, extremists destroyed ancient temples for which the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) heritage site is famous.
Hundreds of museum artifacts were smashed. IS militants cut off the heads and hands of some statues and smashed others before being driven out last March. Other artifacts are still missing—likely stolen by the intruders.
Restorer Daria Montemaggiori says she was "filled with anguish" when she saw the damaged busts and was "happy to collaborate in canceling out this massacre."
The restored busts are to be returned to the National Museum of Palmyra near Damascus at the end of the month.
