The 3D printing movement has certainly become a global phenomenon. Articles tout the promise of 3D printed supercars, superfoods and even super-organs on a seemingly daily basis; however, not everything may benefit from this new technological treatment. In the field of cultural heritage, debate has surrounded the newly unveiled replica of Palmyra’s monumental Roman arch in New York City’s City Hall Park. Many question whether the 3D replica truly celebrates the antiquities of Syria and defies the destructive actions of ISIS, or is a form of “digital colonialism.”

All told, it doesn’t feel colonialist so much as just exceedingly odd. http://pic.twitter.com/tLDlFscgBG
— Christopher Jones (@cwjones89) September 21, 2016

The original structure dates to the reign of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 CE), but was destroyed by ISIS in October of 2015. Notably, Julia Domna, the wife of Severus, was herself a Syrian woman from Emesa and it seems that her husband wished to celebrate the extreme prosperity of the city of Palmyra. Palmyra was a city of trade that stood at a crossroads between the East and the West and its ancient structures have long captured the imagination of the West. 

from Forbes – Tech http://ift.tt/2cYqAoj
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