Cultural organizations have been working to create precise three-dimensional digital models of the threatened heritage monuments in Palmyra, Syria, in case the originals are damaged beyond repair.

Near the marble quarries of Carrara, Italy, robots, like the one in the video above, are using the models to carve a 20-foot-high scale reproduction of one of Palmyra’s most famous ancient monuments: a Roman triple arch that Islamic State militants razed last year.

Image A small-scale reproduction of a Roman arch in Palmyra being carved from a 3D computer model in Carrara, Italy, this month. The original arch in Palmyra was destroyed by ISIS. Credit... Institute for Digital Archaeology and Tor Art

When finished next month, the 12-ton replica is to be temporarily installed at Trafalgar Square in London, with plans to bring it to New York later in the year.