Just as death is a fact of life, we have to accept that nothing is indestructible. Even sturdy stone, which can bear inscriptions for centuries, will eventually succumb to the elements, all carvings worn smooth. 3D printing is able to preserve a sense of history, though, and when combined with photogrammetry can reproduce replicas so future generations can still handle pieces of their heritage. Preston McFarland was interested in looking into his own family's history, and found Luss Church in Scotland, which had a stone carved in 1612 in one of its exterior walls. The MacFarlane stone had been carved centuries before for McFarland's ancestors, and he turned to photogrammetry and WhiteClouds to preserve its scaled-down likeness. See the details of the process in the full article: http://3dprint.com/26369/3d-printed-family-stone/

Below is a photo of the 3D printed replica from WhiteClouds: