In 1739, a local historian in Aston, Hertfordshire, UK discovered a hollow dodecahedron-shaped object made of bronze.
It was found in an area that was once a Roman settlement at the intersection of two roads. This was the first known discovery, at least in modern times, of what is now known as the Roman (or Gallo-Roman) Dodecahedron.
Most recently, in 2023, at the village of Norton Disney in Lincolnshire, UK, a volunteer with the Norton Disney Archeology and History Group discovered another well-preserved dodecahedron in the area before Here, Roman coins and needles were unearthed.
Most of the discoveries are located in areas that were part of the vast former Roman empire. These regions include present-day Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia and Hungary.
The northernmost discovery was near Hadrian’s Wall, which cuts across England, and the southernmost was in Arles, France. The westernmost object appeared at Fishguard (Wales) and the easternmost object at Brigeto corps camp (Szőny, Hungary).
But strangely there were no finds in what is now Italy, Spain, North Africa or the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. All of these are areas with a long history of Roman occupation and influence.
Some were found in coin archives and in what may have been a precious metals shop, suggesting that they were probably quite valuable.
There’s another oddity: Dodecahedrons of similar design, but much smaller, are also found in areas of the Maritime Silk Road, a coastal area of the ancient Silk Road anciently connecting China, Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia, Egypt and Europe since around the 2nd century.
The purpose of the Roman dodecahedron is still unanswered. Countless scientific tests have been carried out but have not reached consensus.
The Asian gold version of the dodecahedrons is quite small and appears to be decorative beads. Or, they may have some religious or talismanic purpose.
Their composition is described as typical of the Roman ‘leaded gun metal’ used to cast objects made of mixed recycled copper alloy metals.
An estimated 200 scientists and researchers have produced articles and papers on the subject of the Roman dodecahedron.
And there is no shortage of amateur and professional ideas, proposals, hypotheses that the dodecahedron is: an ornament or a luxury item, a sword hilt, a weapon or part of a weapon, a tool flower arrangement, a candlestick, a stand for sticks, a coin calibrator, a finger ring sizing tool, part of a musical instrument, a Roman military insignia, an amulet, divination, toys, etc.
What is more mysterious is that no mention of the dodecahedron is found in the writings, drawings, sculptures or frescoes of the time. Maybe they are so specialized and rare that very few people are familiar with them. Or their uses and meanings are so secret that only a few people know.
