After a devastating attack on the Mosul Museum in Iraq, thousands of priceless artifacts and replicas were either stolen and will probably be sold onto the black market, or were toppled, smashed, and even destroyed with power tools at the museum by ISIS terrorists. The technology of 3D printing is now being employed in an effort to rebuild and amass information regarding what was lost. A volunteer group headed by the Initial Training Network for Digital Cultural Heritage is asking all individuals who have visited the museum and have images of both the inside and out to contribute them so that volunteers can make both 3D designs and 3D prints from the pictures, which are all that is left of most of the museum’s contents. More details on this bittersweet story can be found here: http://3dprint.com/51531/3d-print-isis-mosul-museum/


Below is a screen capture of a video of ISIS destroying these ancient works: