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r/romandodecahedron

▲ 29 r/romandodecahedron

The unique dodecahedron found at Saint Trivier de Courtes. (See page 153 of the PDF)

"...On the internet, however, a strange object
turned up in 2009 on a website operated by a group of French metal detectorists.
In this year an anonymous hobby archaeologist found a metal object similar to
known dodecahedra at Saint Trivier de Courtes (Ain department).
But if we examine it closely, this object differs considerably from those we
call dodecahedra: it does not consist of pentagonal faces, but it is globular;
on which we find knobs arranged in circles: 6 above, 11 in the middle, and 6
below (23 altogether). Its holes are not circular either, but triangular and
pentagonal, and they are not arranged diagonally. At the bottom of the
sphere there is a flat base, with a hole in it."

Pictures via the link.

academia.edu
u/LukeyHear — 4 days ago
▲ 9 r/romandodecahedron

Licking Dog hoard from Gloucester with dodecahedron

This is the PAS record for the Gloucester hoard, sometimes referred to as the "Licking Dog" hoard. This was bronze scraps being saved to remelt. Everything, with the exception of the dog figure, was broken down for storage. The value was in the metal.

The dodecahedron fragment is about half way down.

finds.org.uk
u/Fun-Field-6575 — 5 days ago
▲ 41 r/romandodecahedron+4 crossposts

Photos of my Brian Campbell Roman Dodecahedron replica

I set out to make the truest replica of the one found in England in 1987. All accurate details and solid weight. We aimed for a true 1:1, no cut corners. Would like to hear your feedback.

And as a reference, this is the article about the Brian Campbell discovery: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/514246/are-roman-dodecahedrons-worlds-most-mysterious-artifact

My take on the purpose:

I lean towards that the Roman dodecahedron being a religious, cult, or ritual object rather than a practical tool.

My reasoning is that if it served a clear everyday function, especially something technical, military, agricultural, or engineering-related, I think we would have seen more evidence of that by now. The Romans were excellent engineers, administrators, and record-keepers. When a tool had a practical purpose, especially one useful enough to be made repeatedly across different regions, there was usually some kind of written reference, visual depiction, standardized design, or later iteration.

With the dodecahedron, we have the opposite. The sizes vary, the hole diameters vary, the craftsmanship varies, and the context of discovery does not point cleanly to one obvious use. That inconsistency makes me skeptical of theories that treat it as a standardized measuring device or technical instrument.

The fact that it remains so ambiguous actually makes more sense to me if it belonged to a private, symbolic, ritualistic, or possibly mystery-cult context. Objects used in private religious practice do not always leave behind clear written explanations, especially if the knowledge around them was transmitted orally or kept within a closed group.

So while I do not think anyone can say with certainty, I personally find the religious or cult-object theory more convincing than the idea that it was some lost Roman gadget. Just my two cents.

u/shervintwo — 9 days ago
▲ 25 r/romandodecahedron

Dodecahedron Value

One of the most common holes in any theory about how dodecahedra were used (if they were "used") is that they were too labor intensive to create / too valuable for that particular use.

Has there been any experimental archaeology done confirming how long they would have taken to make with period tools & materials?

Do we know the approximate value of equally complex items from these areas & time perod? Does anyone know offhand some examples of other items of about the same value, so we can compare how "useful" the dodecahedron would have to be to justify its existence?

Thanks in advance.

reddit.com
u/Devilfish64 — 11 days ago