Look but don't touch! Our museums are the guardians of some extremely rare artefacts but they are often too delicate to be handled by everyone who would like to. But now, thanks to high-quality 3d scanning and printing, the public can not only see, but touch and feel a faithful replica of the original.

Cambridge University Library, which is celebrating its 600th anniversary with an exhibition, Lines of Thought: Discoveries that Changed the World, holds a unique collection of Chinese oracle bones on which are incised the earliest examples of the Chinese language. When Charles Aylmer, Head of the Chinese Department at Cambridge University library, approached Media Studio we were delighted to be able to produce a 3d print of one of the bones, using a high-resolution scan produced by renowned archaeologist, Professor Dominic Powlesland.

The exciting addition of 3d prints is set to transform the experience for museum visitors for ever. Contact us to arrange a visit to Media Studio to see examples of 3d prints from different types of scans.

Read more about the oracle bones here.

Lines of Thought: Discoveries that Changed the World opens to the public on Friday, March 11, 2016 and runs until Friday, September 30, 2016. Entry is free.

Learn more about 3d printing.