That reminds me of an old Hogan's Hero's episode. Hogan unscrewed a fancy lathe turned nut which held a lampshade on a table lamp, and convinced the camp commandant that it was part of a new type of bomb fuse used by the allies.
Modular for travel encampments- compact due to that use factor / hence the cultural discrepancies perhaps ? Not local ? Modular in that it is , versatile, compact, variable positional and has combinatory uses for positioning joints on tent structures
My suggestion: dodecahedron was on top of a writing desk and served three purposes at once: 1. HOLDER OF SROLLS. That's why the holes with different sizes. It would help when sealing letters with wax seals. That would also explain the wax found inside of one dodecahedron. 2. PAPERWEIGHT 3. DECORATION
The round knobs in the corners on each side are there for stability when it is laid on a surface, keeping it from rolling. No two holes are the same diameter. Both of these factors lead to two inferences: 1) That it was used as a stable 'holder' on a level surface for one object at a time that could fit into one of the holes and that the object was cylindrical and could come in different diameters. The requirement for stability meant that both hands were needed to possibly do things to the material that was being held. 2) The difference in sizes of all the holes could mean that they were used as a means of measurement of the width of the material that was being held in them. Based on this, I would be more inclined to say it was an object used in some type of wood work/carpentry.
In addition to a comment on an earlier video the dodecahedron mystery use can be understood by fully appreciating just how mind-blowingly well thought out and difficult it was to make . No oxy/acetylene gas burners or electric drills or high carbon files. All hand crafted ,firstly in wax then somehow invested in mould material ,then slowly warmed to dry that out and melt out the wax, then poured in molted metal without it exploding and filling the spaces to form it . This shouts out that it was for a high status application and its cost reflecting a specialised function within a state activity . It had to be part of a system of communication with the perishable additional components now lost which was privy to the state and their needs . Just try making one yourself with casting wax and a compass and see how much time it takes . The Benin bronze casting technique gives a clue .
Hey Guy, I've been in the army and we had our share of improvised stuff because logistics is a nightmare during campaigns, so this gives me fire prevention vibes, since most things were made out of flammable materials, or some utensil used for improvised lamps...the ones with holes could keep candles (expensive) from tipping on a wooden table or being tied to a random tree branch, perhaps a lance, where the object would protect the wood from burning in the case of an improvised torch, with the tiny balls all around gripping some greasy fabric or stabilizing the piece on a flat surface....now for the ones without the tiny holes I imagine a lamp for improvised fuels, such as greasy dried grass (cheap), which can be found basically anywhere, where it would draw oxygen from the tiny holes at the bottom and expel flames from the single big hole at the top, also used to fill the dodec with such improvised fuel....it would fit with finding them with coins, because sometimes you need to count the money during the night during campaigns....on the same idea of fire management, this could be a piece under a cooking pot, to keep some type of fuel contained under the pot and also supporting it (I used to improvise a tuna can with holes on the sides and those grill starter tabs for coal bbqs inside during my days for example)...or maybe a fire starter that you throw under a pile of wood to light it up. Anyway, I wouldn't go as far as saying it's some calendar or ritualistic object...we have nature and the pontifex maximus for calendars and I don't imagine soldiers doing rituals behing enemy lines, revealing their positions and stuff....also glove making sounds ridiculous because they would have invented pants first if they were that cold, right? Cheers!
The problem is, as you mentioned, that what it can be used for, doesn't necessarily have to be what it was originally meant for. For a smell dispenser or that washing implement, what sense would it make to have holes in strictly increasing sizes? This would just have made production more complex than having all holes the same size. That one design feature makes it rather clear, in my opinion, that it had to be designed for some mathematical or technical purpose. It's also quite consistent across a large number of the ones found, so explaining that away as artistic freedom or whatever isn't going to work.
Yes. I initially suspected what would crack the mystery was the regional concentration of these artifacts. But I'm reading a number of them were found with coin hoards? I can't shake the feeling this isn't a coincidence. Even if all this means is that the object has a higher value than one would assume on sight. This has been the neatest riddle for my brain to chew on since I went down the rabbit hole on Linear A. Goodbye, sunday afternoon.
The Dodecahedron has similarity to French Knitting a common pastime in the English playground years ago. It has been suggested elsewhere on the web that it is for the manufacture of the flexible gold wire Roman necklace. The various sized holes are for passing through the knitted necklace reducing its size in diameter. Check out French Knitting.
I saw that video too. There are a couple of facts that seem to be missing from this video. Firstly these objects vary significantly in size, so considering what it feels like in the hand is pretty narrow minded. Secondly, although the holes vary in size, holes in opposite faces are the same size. Sticking with the laundry idea, maybe they were for drying clothes by dragging them through the device. If you have a piece of wet cloth, you could poke it through one of the holes and out the other side. As you then drag it through the device, the cloth would become bunched up and the water would be squeezed out. The small knobs would just make it easier to maintain a grip. So maybe a precursor to the mangle. The variation in the hole size would be needed to take into account the various sizes of cloth items that you'd want to dry.
Related to the washing agitator hypothesis, it might be for churning butter. This would fit nicely with its occurrence in the North where butter is (was?) common versus olive oil in the south.
The important features of the dodecahedra are that the objects are not made identically, each one found seems to have slightly different dimensions. The holes on each face are of different sizes and may or may not have circumferential markings. The dodecahedra are all apparently made from bronze or a closely related alloy. All the vertices are joined by a knob or stud. Most show no obvious signs of wear or damage apart that caused from being buried in the ground for many centuries. They would have been objects of value due to the materials and workmanship involved in making them. So perhaps a religious devotional or meditative item, which would not be expected to suffer wear and tear, and would be valued and looked after. It could also be used for creating standardised wooden pegs for building work or carpentry. The differences between individual dodecahedra wouldn’t matter so long as the same tool was used throughout the building or construction of some object. The Romans were not fans of standardised mass production but individual craftsmen would need to use the same tool and measurements over and over to create something like the bone hinges shown on the box at the start of the video. As is common with modern craftsmanship, the craftsman would look after his tools and devices used for measurement would be designed to avoid wear from the objects being measured. The size and shape also make for easy carrying and use by a travelling artisan. Just my twopenny worth.
These last few episodes have been fantastic! I have always been fascinated by Romen history! The mystery of that item is fascinating! So many possibilities..... Thanks for sharing Guy!
I still like the idea that it is an exercise for bronze workers to demonstrate their command of various skills, perhaps a piece that an apprentice would be required to make. No particular use, but would be kept in the home as decoration and a source of pride.
The problem I see with that answer is that practice pieces made by novice machinists today are not reaching for such heights in craftsmanship. Casting a piece such as this would demonstrate mastery, rather than competence. And presumably it is too prestigious of an item for such a purpose. Even with modern manufacturing in resin the expense in making such an item is considerable
@@kilgoar Sorry, but you're really really wrong on that one IMO. An apprentice toolmaker starts / started by making a cube from a piece of steel, to very exacting tolerances, using nothing but a hacksaw and a file. then they might make some tools, the next thing was usually a set square. Several pieces, expected to mate perfectly, and be accurate, again, using nothing but hand tools. I've seen some end of apprenticeship pieces with fits to such exacting tolerances you'd have trouble doing them with wire EDM. And all done with hand tools. Here we're talking about people whose entire life was making things from bronze. That's a hard casting to do, thin walled and hollow, with hand finishing to a more or less high quality depending on the example (the Corbridge one is quite crude, for example), and some extremely difficult soldering to fit the knops. The problem with the idea is that they seem to have had a purpose. All the photos show consistent facetting wear on the knops, coplanar with the faces - That's consistent with a sliding motion on a smooth surface, with no particular face favoured, and that implies a use, rather than being a trinket like a turner's cube or similar. So even as an apprentice piece (which can be, and often is, a tool that follows the apprentice through their lifetime), we don't have a usage, and for a bronze working apprentice that usage would logically be something to do with bronze working.
Any proposed solution has to account for two things: 1) Opposing holes are of the same diameter. 2) Pairs of holes differ in size from other pairs. (You can't rule out "ritual" or aesthetic reasons for these, but it does feel like they should have some practical reason.)
Wine enthusiasm in the legions was rife, the measure for cork diameter was necessarily exact( in the UK the Naval 'tot' was an obligatory tradition in the last century ) for morale.
Pottery circle? Coaster, lid, paper weight. I know sometimes things like that can be used as sharpening stones but it would have more signs of wear if used for that or food grinding or a similar purpose
I still think it was for braiding gold wire. One was found with treasure. Use might have been replaced in trade, changing to coins instead of braided wire. The tiny-holed ones could still be used to braid wire. (maybe) The opposing holes are same size for a reason. (stick)
Have you watched Amy Gaines youtube video? She braids wire and threads. The opposing holes fit on a tapered stick at different levels affecting the width of braided materials, but why were they only found for a short archaeological time frame? 😁
@@magpiefrogfrom2556 I think other gold trade forms were used, or maybe gold braided jewelry fell out of fashion. Any glove or other braiding was done, might have been a secondary use, what about the palms? I may have seen that vid.
My thoughts about the dodecahedron is that it is a CANDLE holder, The different size holes hold different size CANDLES which were not uniform size. Also explains why holes on opposite sides are the same. Has a hole for six different sizes. ONE pair of holes were used at a time, whatever it was.
it's for making chains and weaving rope. a stick of different thickness goes through the middle, and the nobbly bits weave the robe. not my idea, but for me, 100% correct. different hole sizes for different robes
Fabulous Guy ! as usual a wonderful video and thanks for sharing. I would love to share with you my Roman Sarcophagus find in the South East at some point, made from Sussex stone with lead lining , not grave robbed and a real rarity for Southern England , may interest you , best wishes Mark
The Dodeca could be a gaming piece. Like a die, you roll or throw it, and whichever hole is on top determines a result or outcome. Each hole might have a meaning in some lost ruleset.
the testimony of Julius Caesar that the druids lectured on, "the magnitude of the Earth and its divisions" is well-supported by this face of Brian Campbell's dodecahedron artefact. Excerpt from an article stating that they were used by Druids for mathematical measurements in celestial observations as well as used as a naval device in navigation.
Glad to see someone else who thinks the dodecahedron is an 'exotic' introduction to Rome; it simply doesn't look 'right'. We can write this of other cultures, so it is rational to do this for Rome too. As for use... portable goblin teaser, obviously... 👍
The dodecahedron is an old version of a fidget but It was widely used by weavers and knitters. String was wrapped around the knobs and inserted into the holes and with constant wrapping and inserting into the holes the string makes a ball with holes. Try this and see how beautiful it becomes especially with different colours of string. Start with wrapping the string around the knobs and then when the knobs are at their limitations with the string start inserting into the holes until you have a ball. You will see this is an amazing puzzle and was a great pass time. It also increased dexterity for weavers, plus mental and artistic capacity. In essence it’s the core of functional art piece 😎✨ Imagine a market store with all sorts of different designs and colours of string wrapped around the dodecahedron. It was also interesting to unwrap these in order to create your own designs as you could then see the different designs of dodecahedron.
It could be just a decretive thing in a style like in more modern times we had fads like, Art Deco or Art Nouveau. It could have just been a look everyone love for a time.
If we ever do find out what the blasted things are it will be because we find one in a hoard in a kit. Damn thing has to be involved with making something.
I also have a resin replica as I thought that it might be easier to determine its function if I could gather a feel for the object. If you don't like the Caesar cipher stick holder idea that I floated last time, could it have been used as a hand warmer? You put something hot in the middle - maybe a coal of some kind? The bobbles allow airflow and maybe reduce the risk of it scorching a surface. That would also explain why they are only found in the northern provinces. Rome and Egypt are not that cold.
The big Roman coin did not fit any holes, but you said it was not a full size reproduction Dod - plus they came in a variety of sizes so perhaps the hole sizes might not be consistent - plus only a slot is needed to verify a coin size, not a hole, and is easier to insert a coin. If the opposing holes un the Dod are not the same diameter, then it cannot be used as a test gauge, say for rope or wood dowels.
Quite , it was astonishingly well designed and manufactured ,taking up a serious amount of time to form the wax model first and then the frustrating issue of making sprues and vents to let molten bronze fill the vacated mould fully . This was not a toy or a candle holder or a knitting gadget simply due to the cost of paying to get the thing made by top end craftsmen . It had to be military .
The dodeck is for measuring the circumference of the shafts of arrows, spears, bows & tools. Used by craftspeople. The key is that the holes are different sizes.
Correct - it is the original 'Swiss Army' multi-tool created by Gallic blacksmiths for Negotiatores (Roman arms merchants) for trade with the Roman Auxiliary troop arms officers. The dods were used for measurement/procurement/(and sometimes) maintenance of Auxiliary troop, polearm weapon shafts. The dods ensured standardized specs for the ‘varying’ Auxiliary troops (these troops were originally allowed to use their own weapons which varied by troop origin and each garrison needed a key to their weapon specs). This is why the dods are all difference in size and opening hole sizes and ratios. The dod measurements would include the diameter - mid shaft (in some instances), the taper of the shaft just outside/away from the joint at the weapon head socket (in some instances) & the taper of the wood shaft, just inside the head socket (most instances). For more information on the how's and why's, look up my name (Richard Allday) and roman dodecahedron. (Researched opinion).
a leather working tool for making holes in leather pressing down would hold the leather in place then slide your selected hole size through give it a tap hole made , ideal for your bronze age curtain eyelets.
My two pence on the dodecahedra again. If the holes were to allow water to pass through there would be no need for variations in the hole size. Small holes would defeat the purpose so they would be made as large as possible while still being structurally sound. There would also be no need for various sized holes if the thing was covered in fabric or some other material. It would just increase the time and therefore the cost of manufacturing for no reason whatsoever.
A standard body measure, phalanges measures had to be exact for army weapons. The mystery was only for those unfamiliar with the force multipliers of poliorcetics, not rocket surgery
I got interested in the Roman Dodecahedron about six months ago. Being a retired engineer I decided to make myself some in steel. They are extremely tactile and interesting to fiddle with. I'm still no closer to figuring out what they were used for but then I don't think I ever will.
The look and feel of it makes it attractive as a gaming device for gambling. Once you win money using it, you fall in love with it! It becomes magical to a lucky gambler. It is too decorative for a practical tool. It is for fun and cheating a novice user out of his money.
Why not look up the necklace and chain making video that was all through your last video on the Dodecahedron???? Found with hoards of coins, everything rationally, practically fits..
I like the washing devise idea. Soap in the middle, use the knobs to clean in water. Pull the garment partially through the holes to help get out excess water. Or, if you don't want people with horses and carts trudging through your salad garden, position these to deter them.
@@Belzediel Okay, you didn't go for any of those. How about this - tired of all those pesky tasks around the house or workplace where you have to lie on your back to work? Well for just one denarius, you get a set of four Work Decs. Just put a poll of wood and a work dec at each end, place on the ground, and you have a partly mobile work bed. Great for repairing chariots and thousands of other uses. Get whilst stocks last!
@@flabbybum9562 The problem is you have to account for two different sets of things. The first is that all but one of these have the same properties, twelve sides of equal size, each with a ball on the corner of the same size, each with holes of varying size. Those elements have to be functionally required, because otherwise... The second set of things is that you would expect to find these things in different forms, and we don't. Does you proposed purpose require twelve faces and twenty spherical nodes? Specifically, not 'some faces' and 'some nodes' but twelve and twenty? If not, then you have the wrong interpretation. It is also the case the the overall size isn't that important, nor are the specific sizes of the holes, or their relevancy to each other. You cannot simply ignore these features, they are. Historians and enthusiasts look at these very cool things and ponder. An engineer (like me) looks at it very differently, as a functional object. We see those things that must be there and the same, and those things that don't need to be there or the same. Any suggested purpose for these devices MUST fit these criteria, twelve face required, little ball feet required, holes of varying size very much preferred, probably required. The engineering and consistent function of the dodecahedrons allows us to rule out theories because they do not meet those criteria. Do you follow?
maybe useful for making / repairing ropes with an inner core.. ( or leather whips ) and the ones without holes could be useful for making thinner ropes most ropes are made by twisting 3 pieces together 2 clockwise and the 3rd anti clockwise.
Maybe tie some chord onto one of the nobby bits on the dodecahedron and see if you can make it sing like a bull roarer by swinging it around in the air
Yes, yes a lot of liquids like wine, oil or garum has been transported in amphoras and these need stoppers. If you want to keep it airtight you also could seal this stopper with wax or asphalt.
I was thinking that instead of a stopper, it is a weight to keep things in liquids submerged. Curing olives comes to mind. The stopper would have been made to fit the jar.
I've heard 2 other people say these are found during Roman times in the northern parts of the empire. You confirm your research concludes the same. Refining questions I would ask are, are these found, in numbers, anywhere outside the empire during empire days, or, inside the empire area but pre-/post-Roman era? Put another way, are they encountered in non-Roman empire areas or times? Asking because the thought occurs to me they are definitely related to the northern climes and likely government issued or mandated. Perhaps the impetus is weather related (ice, cooler daytime temps, change in flora or fauna, wider variance in daylight hours through the year...) The more solid the research is which limits these to the northern latitudes, the more likely they are to be useful for colder climes. But, oddly, only in colder climes during the Roman days. (????) But the thought also occurs that they are a test of skill, a sort of journeyman's confirmation project to show his mastery of the furnace and metalworking. When I was a young teen I apprenticed in a wood crafting shop. To move to journeyman status, it was commonplace for apprentices to square a board according to the master's stated dimensions. That means every angle, all 12 of them, had to be 90 degrees and dimensions had to be within 1/10mm. A very difficult task using hand planes.
Strange that a super microscopic inspection ( like they do with old statues to find paint traces) hasn’t turned up anything…..Reminds me of a caltrop--cause no matter how it’s put down--it’s right sized up…. Seeing one does reduce the likelihood of a scarf ( clothing) fastener….that somehow reduced the difficulty in undoing the scarf knots….sigh….those nobs are on all of them - so somehow important as keeping the bottom off whatever….for example….a couple of inches to small I reckon for an insect or small lizard container with moss or whatnot covering the holes…guess we’ll go to our graves not knowing….
Has anyone tested the inside for any residue? Might at least rule things out. I guess a rod could be inserted in the holes for some purpose. Could it be a craftsman test piece, some are exquisitely made and others crude. Maybe a game of chance,.and you put objects inside, roll it and bet on what falls out? What a delightful object and mystery!
Richard, I have two videos on TH-cam where I propose, and provide proof, that it is a game with money mainly from legionnaires. Coins were put in, the game was rolled, you paid to play and the coins that came out were kept by the player. The incentive to play was that they put in one or more high value coins.
Guy, you have the coolest kitchen utensil container ever. Just as fashion killed the harpsichord in favour of the pianoforte, so the dodecahedron, whatever its function might have been, might have been replaced by... something else. The dodecahedron was one of the Platonic solids so maybe they were held onto and admired by a few eccentric Platonist philosophers as a curio long after they had passed from the limelight of fashion. Now I've got to give those terracotta discs some thought. Excellent, fun and thought provoking videos. Many thanks.
Suggestion from the farthest back of my mind: Some sort of game. Sinker for fishing larger fish? Put a piece of meat inside it and roast it, hanging it over a fire? Put pebbles inside it, then a piece of cloth with one hole in it. Shake it with the hole in the cloth over the smallest hole, and get the smallest stones out first, then the second smallest et cetera (Not "EX etera!", as many now say...). Perhaps for making mosaics? Where else would you need to sort out things in a narrow space, and with not enough room for a sieve? Maybe coins? Plumbs? Potatoes? Probably not. For trimming ropes by passing them through first a larger hole (going in), then a smaller hole (going out), while using the knobs to grip and twist? Sinking into a bowl of soup with spices, or a potpourri as mentioned in the video? Some silly game like Boule/Boccia/Petanque, but with the same element as American footbal, hence the "knobs" that gives the game an extra element of "Fortuna"? A slingshot message delivery system, the knobs simply adding possible spin or even stabilization? If you put a piece of soap in through the largest hole and then split a rope to enter after it, with the strands tied to the knobs after gout out through the smaller holes, you can dilute the soap into a bath gradually. Even block the orher holes as the soap shrinks while dissolving. Until the smallest hole eventually lets out the little piece of soap left. If you wrap the "thing" in wet goat skin and let it dry, you'll get a musical instrument. To measure the size of something before a wedding? For bow and arrow target practice? To tie together two or more fishing nets in a streaming river? Maybe it's like the ancient version of toys that don't actually do what they pretend, like toy guitars. Just hand it to your kid and tell her/him/it that this is an actual palace or a bee hive or a model of the universe or even - a musical instrument, if you can find a goat and kill it? For fireworks? Put it on a stick - use a hole that fits the available or easiest to find stick - and you have something to weave or knit with, even more than one person. At least three could sit around it and crochet? The knobs to tie the trends or strands? Well. this is just what I could come up with in ten rather distracted minutes. Surely, all of you could do way better! So go on get down to it. I mean, you even seem to care?
Dodecahedra? Knitting devices, but also for making jewellery out of gold or other alloyed wire??? Like some of those thicker gold torque style things.... Sorry, just musing as a textile artist.... Now seeing you hold it, those lines around the holes make sense to us; it is like a knitting dolly. By using a stick shaped like a knitting needle, the line you choose to take the thread over the points will set the gauge of the knitted stitch, making for some very beautiful lacelike jewellery. We saw a torque somewhere in Europe in a museum when we were over there and it looked like a cord from a knitted dolly, only bigger. We need one of those things to give it a go. Where did you buy that thing, please????
I know what the broken bowls are used for, I watched your earlier videos on Samian ware. After seeing you waving the dodecahedron around it occurred to me, was it some kind of measuring device? When you look through and line the holes up so they are the same size they will be a set distance from your eye, it will be the same for anyone. Each aperture will be a different distance from your eye.
The fact that the holes are of different sizes is what gets me. This would suggest (to me) that the holes have individual purposes. I have no idea what it could be, but my guess is that the differing size of the holes is integral to its purpose.
I was surprised you didn't mention the examples without holes in the first video, they really do throw a spanner into the works of most theories. Assuming they served the same purpose as the rest of course. Though things that started with a purpose sometimes evolve into purely decorative and meaningless items over time, for various reasons.
I really like this idea. If there was fabric over it with the metal knobs protruding, it could keep the fabric from touching the table or surface it was put down on.
There is no such thing as a ritual object! Any instrument would count as a ritual object. Objects have meaning and if you don't know the meaning you don't know anything about it. "Ritual" is an unscientific buzzword just like "hallucination" used for things that are not understood.
Not found in Pompeii where any of the fullers were operating... fair play to the Roman fullers if they were treading on the washing they wouldn't want one of those dodecahedrons in there. It looks like it would be nearly as bad as lego or a UK electrical plug if you stood on it with bare feet.
Imagine an archeologist holding a finger fidget. and millions of youtubers coming up with solutions. I bat the prevailing answer will be the thingy from an older type bicycle bell
I personally don’t think you were far off with your original suggestion of a toy. It comes across to me as not so much a toy per se but as an ancient form of a Rubik’s cube. My mother has all sorts of 3d puzzles made from all sorts of materials, different sizes some elaborately decorated some not so much. What would we make of a Rubik’s cube found a thousand years in the future without the coloured stickers on? Of course Rubik’s cube were all the rage at one point now not so much now.
Probably a wild guess but the dodecahedron might have been for holding candles in place - wax candles might have come in different shapes and sizes so a bigger candle would be placed in the bigger hole -if the candle was smaller you would turn the dodecahedron around and insert the candle in the smaller aperture. The studs or knobs would be to prevent the thing from rolling around. Candles would have had to have been quite short though.
The best answer to this seems to be for braiding metal wires for jewellery or rope the question is has anything been foundwith these patterns WATCH Solved? The Roman decahedron really convincing
I find it amusing that no one is clever enough to solve what the dodecahedron was. I think they are always metal (I could be wrong) and they have been found with coin stashes, suggesting the thing has value; also at military sites. I am intrigued but have no clue.
All Roman dodecahedrons date from a later period when Pompei was already destroyed, so it looks like a later invention. But I think there is another problem if it was a very practical or pure decorative item: Non of the objects have been found in Italy, all have been found in the northern or eastern provinces. Why? If it was very practical or in high fashion at some time in the past you would expect them to be distributed throughout the whole Roman empire.
It reminds me of an incense burner. Funnily enough it also reminds me of the spikey balls that go into a tumble dryer :D.. On the first two objects, total guesses - something for smoothing something, one side is flat, one side you can grip. Perhaps for smoothing cloth or food stuff?
@matt.geevan The Enigma of the Roman Dodecahedysolved! Is the TH-cam channel and video which describes it as a codice for secure 🔐 communication. Like in your last video, i think celtic metal work is the origin. The Romans took and absorbed many things. But the question is why only in Europe? Pagan would be a reason if religious as to why it disappeared, plus of more value melted down.
Considering the faddish, decorative qualities shown in the video, a musical possibility seems worth discussion. It is pretty rare for bagpipes to have a "dronestock" but these are used on smallpipes or the zampogna, distributing air from the bellows through many holes of different sizes. There is no rule that says a musical instrument has to be practical, portable, or powered by just one person. In my imagination it is an air-distributing component for a long lost instrument somewhat in between bagpipes and an organ
Might there be an indications in the provincial tax code during the period that they were produced? That is does the period of manufacture correspond with the initiation and then cessation of a tax in the provinces that required specific measure. Such as a cow’s horn diameter etc. Also, Have any been known to have traces of paint?
A "coaster" placed beneath a drink to avoid wet rings on their coffee table? How about a hot plate so they could place their fry pan and other hot cookware on to avoid burning their counter tops.
Yes! That is what I was thinking too! That may fit the idea of a fad item, hairstyles change. It looks similar to something I had for my daughter’s ballet bun.
testimony of Julius Caesar ringing in our ears, lets see how the druids would have used the dodecahedron artefacts as "memory"devices for mathematically encoding astronomical cycles, ("the stars in their motion"), navigation systems ("the magnitude of the Earth and its divisions"), ... "astronomy, mathematics, geometry" ... "and astronomy with severe exactitude".
My latest idea on the "Roman Dodecahedron' is it was used by orators as a mneumonic device to assist in memorizing and or retelling anything. Just like the practice of using an imaginary room and assigning parts of the tale to items in the room, this could be used as a standardized method of memorizing Roman Epics. There are a number of places that one can order high quality reproductions of the device. I got a beautiful resin reproduction, uh... I forget where.....Great Video! (I wrote my comment before I saw that you have also aquired your own reproduction.) If the orator threw the device into a crowd, it probably would agitate the crowd into a Mob....
As far as the dodecahedron is concerned, perhaps it is a demonstration of skill by a metal-smith in order to get a minting contract. We'll never know probably. I'm thinking the ceramic pieces are paperweights, lol
That reminds me of an old Hogan's Hero's episode. Hogan unscrewed a fancy lathe turned nut which held a lampshade on a table lamp, and convinced the camp commandant that it was part of a new type of bomb fuse used by the allies.
Modular tent pole joint
This is my thought as well. However the five-part symmetry is strange.
Modular for travel encampments- compact due to that use factor / hence the cultural discrepancies perhaps ? Not local ? Modular in that it is , versatile, compact, variable positional and has combinatory uses for positioning joints on tent structures
My suggestion: dodecahedron was on top of a writing desk and served three purposes at once:
1. HOLDER OF SROLLS.
That's why the holes with different sizes. It would help when sealing letters with wax seals. That would also explain the wax found inside of one dodecahedron.
2. PAPERWEIGHT
3. DECORATION
Not sure about your first... use as a scroll-holder seem more likely. 👍
The round knobs in the corners on each side are there for stability when it is laid on a surface, keeping it from rolling. No two holes are the same diameter. Both of these factors lead to two inferences: 1) That it was used as a stable 'holder' on a level surface for one object at a time that could fit into one of the holes and that the object was cylindrical and could come in different diameters. The requirement for stability meant that both hands were needed to possibly do things to the material that was being held. 2) The difference in sizes of all the holes could mean that they were used as a means of measurement of the width of the material that was being held in them. Based on this, I would be more inclined to say it was an object used in some type of wood work/carpentry.
In addition to a comment on an earlier video the dodecahedron mystery use can be understood by fully appreciating just how mind-blowingly well thought out and difficult it was to make . No oxy/acetylene gas burners or electric drills or high carbon files. All hand crafted ,firstly in wax then somehow invested in mould material ,then slowly warmed to dry that out and melt out the wax, then poured in molted metal without it exploding and filling the spaces to form it . This shouts out that it was for a high status application and its cost reflecting a specialised function within a state activity . It had to be part of a system of communication with the perishable additional components now lost which was privy to the state and their needs . Just try making one yourself with casting wax and a compass and see how much time it takes . The Benin bronze casting technique gives a clue .
Hey Guy, I've been in the army and we had our share of improvised stuff because logistics is a nightmare during campaigns, so this gives me fire prevention vibes, since most things were made out of flammable materials, or some utensil used for improvised lamps...the ones with holes could keep candles (expensive) from tipping on a wooden table or being tied to a random tree branch, perhaps a lance, where the object would protect the wood from burning in the case of an improvised torch, with the tiny balls all around gripping some greasy fabric or stabilizing the piece on a flat surface....now for the ones without the tiny holes I imagine a lamp for improvised fuels, such as greasy dried grass (cheap), which can be found basically anywhere, where it would draw oxygen from the tiny holes at the bottom and expel flames from the single big hole at the top, also used to fill the dodec with such improvised fuel....it would fit with finding them with coins, because sometimes you need to count the money during the night during campaigns....on the same idea of fire management, this could be a piece under a cooking pot, to keep some type of fuel contained under the pot and also supporting it (I used to improvise a tuna can with holes on the sides and those grill starter tabs for coal bbqs inside during my days for example)...or maybe a fire starter that you throw under a pile of wood to light it up.
Anyway, I wouldn't go as far as saying it's some calendar or ritualistic object...we have nature and the pontifex maximus for calendars and I don't imagine soldiers doing rituals behing enemy lines, revealing their positions and stuff....also glove making sounds ridiculous because they would have invented pants first if they were that cold, right? Cheers!
One point many seem to ignore is they would have been very expensive to make.
Could they be the tops of tents? The diagonal poles would go through the holes, while the awnings could be hung from the ball-like protrusions.
The problem is, as you mentioned, that what it can be used for, doesn't necessarily have to be what it was originally meant for.
For a smell dispenser or that washing implement, what sense would it make to have holes in strictly increasing sizes? This would just have made production more complex than having all holes the same size. That one design feature makes it rather clear, in my opinion, that it had to be designed for some mathematical or technical purpose. It's also quite consistent across a large number of the ones found, so explaining that away as artistic freedom or whatever isn't going to work.
Yes. I initially suspected what would crack the mystery was the regional concentration of these artifacts. But I'm reading a number of them were found with coin hoards? I can't shake the feeling this isn't a coincidence. Even if all this means is that the object has a higher value than one would assume on sight. This has been the neatest riddle for my brain to chew on since I went down the rabbit hole on Linear A. Goodbye, sunday afternoon.
Guy, I'd love to know your thoughts on the Schist Disk. Is it Egyptian?
The Dodecahedron has similarity to French Knitting a common pastime in the English playground years ago. It has been suggested elsewhere on the web that it is for the manufacture of the flexible gold wire Roman necklace. The various sized holes are for passing through the knitted necklace reducing its size in diameter. Check out French Knitting.
I watched a very interesting video on which the chap used one for code writing. It included Guy's idea of wooden blocks being part of the original.
I saw that video too. There are a couple of facts that seem to be missing from this video. Firstly these objects vary significantly in size, so considering what it feels like in the hand is pretty narrow minded.
Secondly, although the holes vary in size, holes in opposite faces are the same size.
Sticking with the laundry idea, maybe they were for drying clothes by dragging them through the device. If you have a piece of wet cloth, you could poke it through one of the holes and out the other side. As you then drag it through the device, the cloth would become bunched up and the water would be squeezed out. The small knobs would just make it easier to maintain a grip. So maybe a precursor to the mangle.
The variation in the hole size would be needed to take into account the various sizes of cloth items that you'd want to dry.
10:32 is very important to my mind. Absolutely fascinating video. I have more questions now than I had before.
Related to the washing agitator hypothesis, it might be for churning butter. This would fit nicely with its occurrence in the North where butter is (was?) common versus olive oil in the south.
The important features of the dodecahedra are that the objects are not made identically, each one found seems to have slightly different dimensions. The holes on each face are of different sizes and may or may not have circumferential markings. The dodecahedra are all apparently made from bronze or a closely related alloy. All the vertices are joined by a knob or stud. Most show no obvious signs of wear or damage apart that caused from being buried in the ground for many centuries. They would have been objects of value due to the materials and workmanship involved in making them.
So perhaps a religious devotional or meditative item, which would not be expected to suffer wear and tear, and would be valued and looked after.
It could also be used for creating standardised wooden pegs for building work or carpentry. The differences between individual dodecahedra wouldn’t matter so long as the same tool was used throughout the building or construction of some object. The Romans were not fans of standardised mass production but individual craftsmen would need to use the same tool and measurements over and over to create something like the bone hinges shown on the box at the start of the video. As is common with modern craftsmanship, the craftsman would look after his tools and devices used for measurement would be designed to avoid wear from the objects being measured. The size and shape also make for easy carrying and use by a travelling artisan. Just my twopenny worth.
These last few episodes have been fantastic! I have always been fascinated by Romen history! The mystery of that item is fascinating! So many possibilities..... Thanks for sharing Guy!
Northern Europe can be chilly....
The Dodecathingy is obviously for "knitting" woollen socks. It's a sock needle😊
Love these mysterious artifacts. (Such a geek.) Perhaps designed for aesthetic as well as practical use. Seems tactile.
I still like the idea that it is an exercise for bronze workers to demonstrate their command of various skills, perhaps a piece that an apprentice would be required to make. No particular use, but would be kept in the home as decoration and a source of pride.
The problem I see with that answer is that practice pieces made by novice machinists today are not reaching for such heights in craftsmanship. Casting a piece such as this would demonstrate mastery, rather than competence. And presumably it is too prestigious of an item for such a purpose. Even with modern manufacturing in resin the expense in making such an item is considerable
@@kilgoar Yes you make an interesting point 👍
@@kilgoar Sorry, but you're really really wrong on that one IMO. An apprentice toolmaker starts / started by making a cube from a piece of steel, to very exacting tolerances, using nothing but a hacksaw and a file. then they might make some tools, the next thing was usually a set square. Several pieces, expected to mate perfectly, and be accurate, again, using nothing but hand tools. I've seen some end of apprenticeship pieces with fits to such exacting tolerances you'd have trouble doing them with wire EDM. And all done with hand tools.
Here we're talking about people whose entire life was making things from bronze. That's a hard casting to do, thin walled and hollow, with hand finishing to a more or less high quality depending on the example (the Corbridge one is quite crude, for example), and some extremely difficult soldering to fit the knops.
The problem with the idea is that they seem to have had a purpose. All the photos show consistent facetting wear on the knops, coplanar with the faces - That's consistent with a sliding motion on a smooth surface, with no particular face favoured, and that implies a use, rather than being a trinket like a turner's cube or similar. So even as an apprentice piece (which can be, and often is, a tool that follows the apprentice through their lifetime), we don't have a usage, and for a bronze working apprentice that usage would logically be something to do with bronze working.
My cats would have fun with the Dodecahedron for hours. As for the reused pottery they could have been used as trivets
Any proposed solution has to account for two things:
1) Opposing holes are of the same diameter.
2) Pairs of holes differ in size from other pairs.
(You can't rule out "ritual" or aesthetic reasons for these, but it does feel like they should have some practical reason.)
The bottom of the clay pot could be a stopper for an unbroken pot.
My thoughts exactly.
Wine enthusiasm in the legions was rife, the measure for cork diameter was necessarily exact( in the UK the Naval 'tot' was an obligatory tradition in the last century ) for morale.
Pottery circle? Coaster, lid, paper weight. I know sometimes things like that can be used as sharpening stones but it would have more signs of wear if used for that or food grinding or a similar purpose
I still think it was for braiding gold wire. One was found with treasure. Use might have been replaced in trade, changing to coins instead of braided wire. The tiny-holed ones could still be used to braid wire. (maybe) The opposing holes are same size for a reason. (stick)
Have you watched Amy Gaines youtube video? She braids wire and threads. The opposing holes fit on a tapered stick at different levels affecting the width of braided materials, but why were they only found for a short archaeological time frame? 😁
@@magpiefrogfrom2556 I think other gold trade forms were used, or maybe gold braided jewelry fell out of fashion. Any glove or other braiding was done, might have been a secondary use, what about the palms? I may have seen that vid.
Some of the suggested uses don't justify an expensive metal device. Braiding wire does require a sturdy metal device.
My thoughts about the dodecahedron is that it is a CANDLE holder, The different size holes hold different size CANDLES which were not uniform size. Also explains why holes on opposite sides are the same. Has a hole for six different sizes. ONE pair of holes were used at a time, whatever it was.
it's for making chains and weaving rope. a stick of different thickness goes through the middle, and the nobbly bits weave the robe. not my idea, but for me, 100% correct. different hole sizes for different robes
Fabulous Guy ! as usual a wonderful video and thanks for sharing. I would love to share with you my Roman Sarcophagus find in the South East at some point, made from Sussex stone with lead lining , not grave robbed and a real rarity for Southern England , may interest you , best wishes Mark
The Dodeca could be a gaming piece. Like a die, you roll or throw it, and whichever hole is on top determines a result or outcome. Each hole might have a meaning in some lost ruleset.
I do think that but I don't think it's Roman since non have been found south of the Alps.
Yes! Dice for games or divinations
Toss it and pickup with s stick?
@@rogerkulpnik toss, and interpret the "answer". A more advanced form of "flipping a coin". You have 12 possible outcomes.
Just a thought.
the testimony of Julius Caesar that the druids lectured on, "the magnitude of the Earth and its divisions" is well-supported by this face of Brian Campbell's dodecahedron artefact. Excerpt from an article stating that they were used by Druids for mathematical measurements in celestial observations as well as used as a naval device in navigation.
Glad to see someone else who thinks the dodecahedron is an 'exotic' introduction to Rome; it simply doesn't look 'right'. We can write this of other cultures, so it is rational to do this for Rome too. As for use... portable goblin teaser, obviously... 👍
The dodecahedron is an old version of a fidget but It was widely used by weavers and knitters. String was wrapped around the knobs and inserted into the holes and with constant wrapping and inserting into the holes the string makes a ball with holes. Try this and see how beautiful it becomes especially with different colours of string. Start with wrapping the string around the knobs and then when the knobs are at their limitations with the string start inserting into the holes until you have a ball. You will see this is an amazing puzzle and was a great pass time. It also increased dexterity for weavers, plus mental and artistic capacity. In essence it’s the core of functional art piece 😎✨ Imagine a market store with all sorts of different designs and colours of string wrapped around the dodecahedron. It was also interesting to unwrap these in order to create your own designs as you could then see the different designs of dodecahedron.
Maybe for spinning wool into tight uniform yarn and then using it like a spindle to unwind it?
It could be just a decretive thing in a style like in more modern times we had fads like, Art Deco or Art Nouveau. It could have just been a look everyone love for a time.
12 sides represent the months of the year
Roman calendar - 10 months.
The middle thing with the holes was used to construct fingers for a glove in another video.
If we ever do find out what the blasted things are it will be because we find one in a hoard in a kit. Damn thing has to be involved with making something.
I also have a resin replica as I thought that it might be easier to determine its function if I could gather a feel for the object. If you don't like the Caesar cipher stick holder idea that I floated last time, could it have been used as a hand warmer? You put something hot in the middle - maybe a coal of some kind? The bobbles allow airflow and maybe reduce the risk of it scorching a surface. That would also explain why they are only found in the northern provinces. Rome and Egypt are not that cold.
Some of the suggested uses don't justify an expensive metal device. A warming object does require a sturdy metal device.
The big Roman coin did not fit any holes, but you said it was not a full size reproduction Dod - plus they came in a variety of sizes so perhaps the hole sizes might not be consistent - plus only a slot is needed to verify a coin size, not a hole, and is easier to insert a coin.
If the opposing holes un the Dod are not the same diameter, then it cannot be used as a test gauge, say for rope or wood dowels.
The mystery is usually something simple, which stares one in theface.
Quite , it was astonishingly well designed and manufactured ,taking up a serious amount of time to form the wax model first and then the frustrating issue of making sprues and vents to let molten bronze fill the vacated mould fully . This was not a toy or a candle holder or a knitting gadget simply due to the cost of paying to get the thing made by top end craftsmen . It had to be military .
The dodeck is for measuring the circumference of the shafts of arrows, spears, bows & tools. Used by craftspeople. The key is that the holes are different sizes.
Correct - it is the original 'Swiss Army' multi-tool created by Gallic blacksmiths for Negotiatores (Roman arms merchants) for trade with the Roman Auxiliary troop arms officers. The dods were used for measurement/procurement/(and sometimes) maintenance of Auxiliary troop, polearm weapon shafts. The dods ensured standardized specs for the ‘varying’ Auxiliary troops (these troops were originally allowed to use their own weapons which varied by troop origin and each garrison needed a key to their weapon specs). This is why the dods are all difference in size and opening hole sizes and ratios. The dod measurements would include the diameter - mid shaft (in some instances), the taper of the shaft just outside/away from the joint at the weapon head socket (in some instances) & the taper of the wood shaft, just inside the head socket (most instances). For more information on the how's and why's, look up my name (Richard Allday) and roman dodecahedron. (Researched opinion).
A most interesting object. For some unknown reason when I first saw this I thought it was a compass. Goodness knows why.
a leather working tool for making holes in leather pressing down would hold the leather in place then slide your selected hole size through give it a tap hole made , ideal for your bronze age curtain eyelets.
To wind around long strips of cloth or wool or string? That might keep it neat and tidy. Just an idea. I suspect it's something very domestic.
av a look at some of the wire jewelery you cn make with a roman ddecahedron..nd an evercreasing dowel size
My two pence on the dodecahedra again. If the holes were to allow water to pass through there would be no need for variations in the hole size. Small holes would defeat the purpose so they would be made as large as possible while still being structurally sound. There would also be no need for various sized holes if the thing was covered in fabric or some other material. It would just increase the time and therefore the cost of manufacturing for no reason whatsoever.
They were used to weave gloves for soldiers. That is why they have different sizes.
A standard body measure, phalanges measures had to be exact for army weapons.
The mystery was only for those unfamiliar with the force multipliers of poliorcetics, not rocket surgery
I got interested in the Roman Dodecahedron about six months ago. Being a retired engineer I decided to make myself some in steel. They are extremely tactile and interesting to fiddle with. I'm still no closer to figuring out what they were used for but then I don't think I ever will.
The look and feel of it makes it attractive as a gaming device for gambling. Once you win money using it, you fall in love with it! It becomes magical to a lucky gambler. It is too decorative for a practical tool. It is for fun and cheating a novice user out of his money.
Why not look up the necklace and chain making video that was all through your last video on the Dodecahedron???? Found with hoards of coins, everything rationally, practically fits..
Ancient aliens visited Britain. Now theres lots of modern aliens coming to stay.
I like the washing devise idea. Soap in the middle, use the knobs to clean in water. Pull the garment partially through the holes to help get out excess water. Or, if you don't want people with horses and carts trudging through your salad garden, position these to deter them.
Why does it require twelve sides?
@@Belzediel A design that was found to work well?
@@flabbybum9562 Bollocks.
@@Belzediel Okay, you didn't go for any of those. How about this - tired of all those pesky tasks around the house or workplace where you have to lie on your back to work? Well for just one denarius, you get a set of four Work Decs. Just put a poll of wood and a work dec at each end, place on the ground, and you have a partly mobile work bed. Great for repairing chariots and thousands of other uses. Get whilst stocks last!
@@flabbybum9562 The problem is you have to account for two different sets of things. The first is that all but one of these have the same properties, twelve sides of equal size, each with a ball on the corner of the same size, each with holes of varying size. Those elements have to be functionally required, because otherwise...
The second set of things is that you would expect to find these things in different forms, and we don't.
Does you proposed purpose require twelve faces and twenty spherical nodes? Specifically, not 'some faces' and 'some nodes' but twelve and twenty? If not, then you have the wrong interpretation.
It is also the case the the overall size isn't that important, nor are the specific sizes of the holes, or their relevancy to each other. You cannot simply ignore these features, they are.
Historians and enthusiasts look at these very cool things and ponder. An engineer (like me) looks at it very differently, as a functional object. We see those things that must be there and the same, and those things that don't need to be there or the same. Any suggested purpose for these devices MUST fit these criteria, twelve face required, little ball feet required, holes of varying size very much preferred, probably required.
The engineering and consistent function of the dodecahedrons allows us to rule out theories because they do not meet those criteria. Do you follow?
For testing the conformity of cordage so it doesn't jam in pulleys and blocks!
maybe useful for making / repairing ropes with an inner core.. ( or leather whips )
and the ones without holes could be useful for making thinner ropes
most ropes are made by twisting 3 pieces together 2 clockwise and the 3rd anti clockwise.
The dodecahedron is a Prayer Doophera. A godsphere where prayer gets grapplied. A bit like the Indian dream catchers
Maybe tie some chord onto one of the nobby bits on the dodecahedron and see if you can make it sing like a bull roarer by swinging it around in the air
Knapped down into a disc and possibly wrapped in cloth, I can see these terracotta objects used as jar stoppers.
Yes, yes a lot of liquids like wine, oil or garum has been transported in amphoras and these need stoppers. If you want to keep it airtight you also could seal this stopper with wax or asphalt.
I was thinking that instead of a stopper, it is a weight to keep things in liquids submerged. Curing olives comes to mind. The stopper would have been made to fit the jar.
I've heard 2 other people say these are found during Roman times in the northern parts of the empire. You confirm your research concludes the same.
Refining questions I would ask are, are these found, in numbers, anywhere outside the empire during empire days, or, inside the empire area but pre-/post-Roman era? Put another way, are they encountered in non-Roman empire areas or times?
Asking because the thought occurs to me they are definitely related to the northern climes and likely government issued or mandated. Perhaps the impetus is weather related (ice, cooler daytime temps, change in flora or fauna, wider variance in daylight hours through the year...)
The more solid the research is which limits these to the northern latitudes, the more likely they are to be useful for colder climes. But, oddly, only in colder climes during the Roman days. (????)
But the thought also occurs that they are a test of skill, a sort of journeyman's confirmation project to show his mastery of the furnace and metalworking. When I was a young teen I apprenticed in a wood crafting shop. To move to journeyman status, it was commonplace for apprentices to square a board according to the master's stated dimensions. That means every angle, all 12 of them, had to be 90 degrees and dimensions had to be within 1/10mm. A very difficult task using hand planes.
I am going to say that the two pieces of repurposed pottery are stoppers for jars.
So it was used for a type of tatting. The bulbs on them to wrap wool around.
think Amy Gaines has this one solved
Lovely thank you again sir.
Strange that a super microscopic inspection ( like they do with old statues to find paint traces) hasn’t turned up anything…..Reminds me of a caltrop--cause no matter how it’s put down--it’s right sized up…. Seeing one does reduce the likelihood of a scarf ( clothing) fastener….that somehow reduced the difficulty in undoing the scarf knots….sigh….those nobs are on all of them - so somehow important as keeping the bottom off whatever….for example….a couple of inches to small I reckon for an insect or small lizard container with moss or whatnot covering the holes…guess we’ll go to our graves not knowing….
Has anyone tested the inside for any residue? Might at least rule things out. I guess a rod could be inserted in the holes for some purpose. Could it be a craftsman test piece, some are exquisitely made and others crude. Maybe a game of chance,.and you put objects inside, roll it and bet on what falls out? What a delightful object and mystery!
Richard, I have two videos on TH-cam where I propose, and provide proof, that it is a game with money mainly from legionnaires. Coins were put in, the game was rolled, you paid to play and the coins that came out were kept by the player. The incentive to play was that they put in one or more high value coins.
Then why are they not invariably found in Roman forts across the entire Roman Empire?
Guy, you have the coolest kitchen utensil container ever. Just as fashion killed the harpsichord in favour of the pianoforte, so the dodecahedron, whatever its function might have been, might have been replaced by... something else. The dodecahedron was one of the Platonic solids so maybe they were held onto and admired by a few eccentric Platonist philosophers as a curio long after they had passed from the limelight of fashion. Now I've got to give those terracotta discs some thought. Excellent, fun and thought provoking videos. Many thanks.
Suggestion from the farthest back of my mind:
Some sort of game.
Sinker for fishing larger fish?
Put a piece of meat inside it and roast it,
hanging it over a fire?
Put pebbles inside it, then a piece of cloth with one hole in it. Shake it with the hole in the cloth over the smallest hole, and get the smallest stones out first, then the second smallest et cetera (Not "EX etera!", as many now say...). Perhaps for making mosaics? Where else would you need to sort out things in a narrow space, and with not enough room for a sieve? Maybe coins? Plumbs? Potatoes? Probably not.
For trimming ropes by passing them through first a larger hole (going in), then a smaller hole (going out), while using the knobs to grip and twist?
Sinking into a bowl of soup with spices, or a potpourri as mentioned in the video?
Some silly game like Boule/Boccia/Petanque, but with the same element as American footbal, hence the "knobs" that gives the game an extra element of "Fortuna"?
A slingshot message delivery system, the knobs simply adding possible spin or even stabilization?
If you put a piece of soap in through the largest hole and then split a rope to enter after it, with the strands tied to the knobs after gout out through the smaller holes, you can dilute the soap into a bath gradually. Even block the orher holes as the soap shrinks while dissolving. Until the smallest hole eventually lets out the little piece of soap left.
If you wrap the "thing" in wet goat skin and let it dry, you'll get a musical instrument.
To measure the size of something before a wedding?
For bow and arrow target practice?
To tie together two or more fishing nets in a streaming river?
Maybe it's like the ancient version of toys that don't actually do what they pretend, like toy guitars. Just hand it to your kid and tell her/him/it that this is an actual palace or a bee hive or a model of the universe or even - a musical instrument, if you can find a goat and kill it?
For fireworks?
Put it on a stick - use a hole that fits the available or easiest to find stick - and you have something to weave or knit with, even more than one person. At least three could sit around it and crochet? The knobs to tie the trends or strands?
Well. this is just what I could come up with in ten rather distracted minutes. Surely, all of you could do way better! So go on get down to it. I mean, you even seem to care?
Dodecahedra? Knitting devices, but also for making jewellery out of gold or other alloyed wire??? Like some of those thicker gold torque style things.... Sorry, just musing as a textile artist.... Now seeing you hold it, those lines around the holes make sense to us; it is like a knitting dolly. By using a stick shaped like a knitting needle, the line you choose to take the thread over the points will set the gauge of the knitted stitch, making for some very beautiful lacelike jewellery. We saw a torque somewhere in Europe in a museum when we were over there and it looked like a cord from a knitted dolly, only bigger. We need one of those things to give it a go. Where did you buy that thing, please????
Maybe an incendiary device?
Put an oil soaked rag inside an throw
The dodecahedron
I know what the broken bowls are used for, I watched your earlier videos on Samian ware. After seeing you waving the dodecahedron around it occurred to me, was it some kind of measuring device? When you look through and line the holes up so they are the same size they will be a set distance from your eye, it will be the same for anyone. Each aperture will be a different distance from your eye.
The name of the scent packet you seemed to be looking for is pomander ball. I may have misspelled that word, tho.
The fact that the holes are of different sizes is what gets me. This would suggest (to me) that the holes have individual purposes. I have no idea what it could be, but my guess is that the differing size of the holes is integral to its purpose.
The bottoms of the pottery- my guess is they were repurposed as lids for creamation urns.
I was surprised you didn't mention the examples without holes in the first video, they really do throw a spanner into the works of most theories. Assuming they served the same purpose as the rest of course. Though things that started with a purpose sometimes evolve into purely decorative and meaningless items over time, for various reasons.
"A theory of government"
^^^satire ftw
I really like this idea. If there was fabric over it with the metal knobs protruding, it could keep the fabric from touching the table or surface it was put down on.
Why would it need twelve sides?
Re the washing device: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posser. As for the dodecahedron, it's obviously a ritual object.
There is no such thing as a ritual object! Any instrument would count as a ritual object. Objects have meaning and if you don't know the meaning you don't know anything about it. "Ritual" is an unscientific buzzword just like "hallucination" used for things that are not understood.
@@DarthChrisB Of course there is! When flummoxed by any item the correct response is always "It's a ritual object."
Not found in Pompeii where any of the fullers were operating... fair play to the Roman fullers if they were treading on the washing they wouldn't want one of those dodecahedrons in there. It looks like it would be nearly as bad as lego or a UK electrical plug if you stood on it with bare feet.
Aerates concrete mixtures in a mechanical mixer
Imagine an archeologist holding a finger fidget. and millions of youtubers coming up with solutions. I bat the prevailing answer will be the thingy from an older type bicycle bell
I personally don’t think you were far off with your original suggestion of a toy. It comes across to me as not so much a toy per se but as an ancient form of a Rubik’s cube. My mother has all sorts of 3d puzzles made from all sorts of materials, different sizes some elaborately decorated some not so much.
What would we make of a Rubik’s cube found a thousand years in the future without the coloured stickers on?
Of course Rubik’s cube were all the rage at one point now not so much now.
I think the geography is key here. The fact they have only been found in Northern climes must be of some significance to the use.
Probably a wild guess but the dodecahedron might have been for holding candles in place - wax candles might have come in different shapes and sizes so a bigger candle would be placed in the bigger hole -if the candle was smaller you would turn the dodecahedron around and insert the candle in the smaller aperture. The studs or knobs would be to prevent the thing from rolling around. Candles would have had to have been quite short though.
The Dodec. What about round bottomed scent bottle holder.
Sizes probably not consistent hence different hole sizes.
Candle holder designed for all sizes of candles.
the function might have remained, with the form changing. if it were a time piece that is.
The best answer to this seems to be for braiding metal wires for jewellery or rope the question is has anything been foundwith these patterns WATCH Solved? The Roman decahedron really convincing
I find it amusing that no one is clever enough to solve what the dodecahedron was. I think they are always metal (I could be wrong) and they have been found with coin stashes, suggesting the thing has value; also at military sites. I am intrigued but have no clue.
All Roman dodecahedrons date from a later period when Pompei was already destroyed, so it looks like a later invention. But I think there is another problem if it was a very practical or pure decorative item:
Non of the objects have been found in Italy, all have been found in the northern or eastern provinces. Why? If it was very practical or in high fashion at some time in the past you would expect them to be distributed throughout the whole Roman empire.
I had guessed quickly at things I have seen but it was something I had never seen. Cool!!!
It reminds me of an incense burner. Funnily enough it also reminds me of the spikey balls that go into a tumble dryer :D.. On the first two objects, total guesses - something for smoothing something, one side is flat, one side you can grip. Perhaps for smoothing cloth or food stuff?
@matt.geevan The Enigma of the Roman Dodecahedysolved! Is the TH-cam channel and video which describes it as a codice for secure 🔐 communication.
Like in your last video, i think celtic metal work is the origin. The Romans took and absorbed many things. But the question is why only in Europe?
Pagan would be a reason if religious as to why it disappeared, plus of more value melted down.
Considering the faddish, decorative qualities shown in the video, a musical possibility seems worth discussion. It is pretty rare for bagpipes to have a "dronestock" but these are used on smallpipes or the zampogna, distributing air from the bellows through many holes of different sizes. There is no rule that says a musical instrument has to be practical, portable, or powered by just one person. In my imagination it is an air-distributing component for a long lost instrument somewhat in between bagpipes and an organ
Bagpipes were unpopular among the legions, a popular sleep deprivation device.
For the mystery cup bottom, I'm guessing it was turned into a *scraping tool* , perhaps for use in tanning.
Might there be an indications in the provincial tax code during the period that they were produced? That is does the period of manufacture correspond with the initiation and then cessation of a tax in the provinces that required specific measure. Such as a cow’s horn diameter etc.
Also, Have any been known to have traces of paint?
A "coaster" placed beneath a drink to avoid wet rings on their coffee table? How about a hot plate so they could place their fry pan and other hot cookware on to avoid burning their counter tops.
The thing with the holes looks more like a hair bobble for a woman's hair?
As you say, the knots must exist for winding some sort of thread or hair?
Yes! That is what I was thinking too! That may fit the idea of a fad item, hairstyles change. It looks similar to something I had for my daughter’s ballet bun.
@@brandikirchhoff927 - I can just image what these look like in a woman's hair. If not, perhaps they were buns for horses tails?
Use it like a rolling pin to press and stipple a texture on leather? Press dye out of wool hydes?
testimony of Julius Caesar ringing in our ears, lets see how the druids would have used the dodecahedron artefacts as "memory"devices for mathematically encoding astronomical cycles, ("the stars in their motion"), navigation systems ("the magnitude of the Earth and its divisions"), ... "astronomy, mathematics, geometry" ... "and astronomy with severe exactitude".
Aha! They’re ancient dryer balls to reduce static cling!
Incense burner adjustable smoke diffuser lid!
Absolutely fascinating. Food for thought. Thanks for this video...now I'm curious.
My latest idea on the "Roman Dodecahedron' is it was used by orators as a mneumonic device to assist in memorizing and or retelling anything. Just like the practice of using an imaginary room and assigning parts of the tale to items in the room, this could be used as a standardized method of memorizing Roman Epics.
There are a number of places that one can order high quality reproductions of the device. I got a beautiful resin reproduction, uh... I forget where.....Great Video! (I wrote my comment before I saw that you have also aquired your own reproduction.) If the orator threw the device into a crowd, it probably would agitate the crowd into a Mob....
As far as the dodecahedron is concerned, perhaps it is a demonstration of skill by a metal-smith in order to get a minting contract. We'll never know probably. I'm thinking the ceramic pieces are paperweights, lol