Ancient Roman dodecahedron discovered in England
Amateur archaeologists in England have discovered one of the largest Roman dodecahedrons ever found, but what it was actually used for is left to scientists to understand is still a mystery.
Photo: Norton Disney History and Archeology Group
This twelve-sided object is one of 33 known to have existed in Roman Britain, and one of about 130 dodecahedrons in the world, notes CNN. It is considered «one of archaeology's great mysteries.»
The dodecahedron, about 8 centimeters in diameter, is hollow and covered with 12 holes of different sizes, CNN reports.
The 1,700-year-old object will be on display at the Lincoln Museum from May 4 to early September.
“We are very pleased to have Norton Disney's dodecahedron join us– just a stone's throw from where it was found,” Andrea Martin, exhibitions and interpretation manager at the museum, said in a Lincolnshire County Council press release. “The fact that the opening of the exhibition coincided with the history festival in Lincoln is a real coup.”
The press release describes the dodecahedron as “one of the largest specimens found”.
However experts are still not sure what exactly the Romans used the dodecahedron for.
«It's completely unique,» says Richard Parker, secretary of Norton Disney's History and Archeology Group, adding that no such object has ever been found. He said that, unlike other dodecahedrons, this one was intact.
“Our specimen is in amazing condition. It is intact, intact, and both those who made it and those who used it clearly considered it very valuable, Parker said. – So there must have been a very important reason for him being buried in the ground the way he was.”
Richard Parker told CNN that there are no descriptions of the dodecahedron in Roman literature, and they were not depicted as mosaics. There are also several features that make it difficult to understand what its purpose was. According to him, all dodecahedrons are different sizes, which means they were not used for measurements. Since they are intact and show no signs of wear, it is unlikely that it was a tool, Parker added.
However, Parker's group has one working theory.
“Most likely, these were some kind of religious or ritual objects,” he suggests. – The Romans were very superstitious and generally needed signs to help them make decisions in their daily lives.
One piece of evidence to support this idea, Parker said, is that an object was found nearby with a small Roman figurine of a horseman god, which has “close religious connections.” The artifact was discovered in 1989 by metal detectors, and the figurine is «often found in temples.»
The organization plans to return to the site later this year for further excavation, which Parker hopes will help establish the context of use this territory. Richard Parker said he is optimistic that the mystery will be solved because this dodecahedron was found in an archaeological site, while «many of those found 200 or 300 years ago had no relationship to the place where they were found.»
“This is quite a complex story that we are just beginning to tell,» he added.