What historical stone sculptures have been lost to war or natural disasters?

Throughout history, countless stone sculptures and monuments have been tragically lost to the ravages of war and natural disasters. Among the most famous casualties are the Buddhas of Bamiyan, two colossal 6th-century statues in Afghanistan destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. The ancient city of Palmyra in Syria saw many of its Roman-era sculptures and temples obliterated by ISIS during the Syrian civil war. Earthquakes have also taken their toll, such as the 2015 Nepal quake that damaged centuries-old Hindu and Buddhist carvings. The Library of Ashurbanipal's stone reliefs in Nineveh suffered both from ancient warfare and modern conflicts in Iraq. Even nature's forces have erased masterpieces, like the coastal erosion that claimed parts of Scotland's prehistoric Orkney stone carvings. These losses represent not just artistic destruction but the erasure of humanity's shared cultural heritage.