Restoring the Ruin
Carving new pieces
As in ancient times, the Parthenon
workplace today is less a construction site and more a sculptor's
studio. Master stonemasons do all carving by hand. Their expert
skills are needed, because sometimes the difference between a piece
fitting perfectly and not comes down to just a tenth of a
millimeter, about the thickness of a human hair. Amazingly, the
ancient Greeks themselves achieved this level of precision, in part
by using highly sophisticated tools. Korres, by studying tool marks
in old marble, has reconstructed ancient chisels and other tools
that he believes were, in their day, sharper and more durable than
similar tools today.