To date, the exact purpose of the Roman dodecahedron remains a topic of debate among scientists.
A amateur archaeologist, Patrick Schuermans, discovered a mysterious fragment while walking through a field near the small town of Kortessem, Belgium, using his metal detector.
The object was subsequently sent to scientists at the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium, for verification.
A report on this artifact, published by experts on January 26, 2023, revealed that although only a corner of the object remains, it is undoubtedly part of a Roman bronze dodecahedron (a twelve-faced solid) with a diameter of just over 5 cm.
While other geometric artifacts of this type have been discovered in the past, archaeologists have yet to accurately explain their function. No written documents referencing them have ever been found.
A Roman dodecahedron, a replica displayed at the Gallo-Roman Museum, Tongeren, Belgium (Image credit: Time Travel Rome).
Scientists have proposed several hypotheses regarding the use of this dodecahedron.
Was the Roman Dodecahedron Used for Divination?
The first Roman dodecahedron was identified in England in the 18th century. Since then, over a hundred have been found across the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
These artifacts consist of hollow metal shells cast with twelve faces, about the size of a baseball, featuring large holes on each side and studs at each corner.
The metal itself cannot be dated, but one of these objects was found in layers of earth dating from the 1st to the 5th century AD.
One bronze dodecahedron was discovered just outside the ancient Roman city walls of Tongeren in 1939. It is currently on display at the Gallo-Roman Museum.
Guido Creemers, the curator of the Gallo-Roman Museum, shared with LiveScience: “There have been several theories; it could be a type of calendar, a land measuring tool, a scepter… but none of those theories are satisfactory.”
However, numerous theories proposed by scientists continue to circulate regarding their function, suggesting it could be part of a weapon, tools used in agriculture, dice, or toys.
Additionally, many experts focus their research on this object related to informal activities such as sorcery and divination, which were prevalent during the Roman era.
Influence of the Gauls and Celts
These mysterious metal artifacts have only been discovered in the northwestern regions of the ancient Roman Empire or in burial sites.
This may provide clues indicating that their use was confined to areas influenced by the Gauls or Celts.
The Flemish Heritage Agency of Belgium finally revealed in a statement on January 10: “We have found traces of some repairs on a part of the dodecahedron. The broken surface of the fragment may suggest it was intentionally broken, perhaps in a final ritual.”
This discovery could shed more light for researchers; an archaeological dig conducted at the site where the fragment was found uncovered additional wall fragments, which may have been part of a location for rituals or feasts in an ancient Roman villa.
