More than 160 historic and cultural sites across the Palestinian territory have been damaged during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, according to the United Nations.Many of these artefacts date back thousands of years."Several mosaic artworks have been lost or destroyed, either completely or partially," said Mohammed Abu Lahia, a Palestinian visual artist taking part in the preservation efforts in the south Gaza city of Khan Yunis."It is important that we work to revive this art, remind our children and our community, and send a message to the world that we are committed to our heritage and our Palestinian cause."Beyond archaeological treasures, more recent cultural artefacts are also at risk of being damaged or buried beneath rubble from shelling and airstrikes.More than 90 percent of Gaza's buildings have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict, according to the UN.Over the centuries, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans all left their mark on Gaza, creating a rich historical landscape of churches, mosques, ports and artefacts, many of which have suffered damage during the conflict."This stone is a piece called a mortar, and it was used for grinding grains and herbs. It is approximately 5,000 years old," said Muhannad Abu Lahia, a cultural heritage guide with the Mayasem Association for Culture and Arts, the NGO leading the preservation efforts.Behind him, artefacts already catalogued for safekeeping were stacked on wooden shelves inside weatherproof plastic containers.Preserving the past