British Museum Now Lets You 3D Print Artifact Replicas

3D printing is slowly but surely becoming more available to the average consumer, and the possibilities for it are vast. While the technology is being used to tackle projects as expansive as home construction and food in space, it is also being utilized at the simpler level for creating things like replacement knobs and personalized action figures. Among those simpler uses is the ability to print your own replica of historical items.

Do you fancy have a replica of Amenemhat III's granite bust? Now you can, thanks to a new collection of downloadable 3D models the British Museum has made available through Sketchfab, which is the first service to host the collection.

It looks like the British Museum plans to make more 3D models available in the future, but for now there are 14 available to download, included among being: the marble portrait of Julius Caesar, the Colossal marble bust of Zeus, giant scarab beetle, Horus falcon statue, Hoa Hakananai'a, and more.

This is only a small representation of the 3D models hosted by Sketchfab, which now includes a large selection of downloadable files. A quick look at the models available for download reveals things like Christmas tree decorations, generic replicas of ancient weapons and tools, smartphone cases, and even a golf wheel.

SOURCE: Mashable