An exhibition called ’Between Prague and Cairo’ got underway in Prague, Czech Republic. To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, this vast exhibition depicts many important milestones of the institute’s history. One of the unique features is a section with 3D printed replicas of ancient Egyptian artifacts – these were printed on our Original Prusa 3D printers.

The exhibition brings an opportunity to walk through the history of initially Czechoslovakian and later Czech archeological operations in Abusir, a location near Gisa, Egypt. This particular spot became famous thanks to many archeological finds of great importance throughout the years.

All artifacts uncovered in Egypt cannot leave the country by law. This is why archeologists must document every find very thoroughly – detailed drawings, descriptions, and photos, usually. However, in recent years, 3D scanning became commonplace. The technology is advanced enough to scan more than just mere items – scanning the whole crypt is also possible.

This is why the exhibition features 3D prints of some of the original finds. The originals were thoroughly digitized using a 3D scanner, allowing for the production of 3D-printed replicas. And this gives the visitors the unique opportunity to touch the exhibits on display, which would be, of course, unthinkable with the precious originals.

One of the displayed exhibits is a human skull replica, printed using Prusament PLA Vanilla White filament. This particular filament gives it a true real-life look enhanced with a plethora of details on the model itself. There are 3D-printed replicas of stone containers, originally made of metagabro, travertine, and limestone. An there’s also an interesting comparison between two different methods of manufacturing – two replicas of a beer jug are placed side by side, one is printed on our Original Prusa i3 MK3 3D printer, the other one is made using a traditional plaster casting method. The largest of the models is a replica of a damaged statue assembled from seven separate parts, also printed using our MK3 3D printer.

All items on display were printed in cooperation with Prusa Research using Original Prusa i3 MK3S and Original Prusa SL1 3D printers.