ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Features → History and Humanities → Archaeology

Vintage Files: The Curious Case of the Roman Dodecahedra

A big archaeological mystery which will likely never be solved.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
January 11, 2017 - Updated on May 1, 2023
in Archaeology, Archaeology
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

In 1739. archaeologists found a most curious thing: a bronze dodecahedron, empty on the inside, and quite intricate in design. It has since been dated to the 2nd and 3rd century, to Roman times (and was likely created by the Romans). Why? We don’t really know.

Roman Dodecahedron from Bonn, Germany. Image credits: Paul Garland

The objects range from 4 to 11 cm, so they’re quite small (1.5 to 4.3 inch) and they were found in several places across the Roman Empire, like Great Britain, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Hungary – mostly in central and Western Europe. No historical or literary mention of these objects was recorded, so when the first ones were discovered they were quite puzzling.

A dodecahedron had wax on the inside, so some proposed they were candle holders. Other hypotheses include flower stands, staff or scepter decorations, a fortune telling devices, a bludgeon, a children’s toy, dice, or a measuring device (more precisely as a range measuring object on the battlefields).

However, none of these actually has solid evidence backing them up, so anthropologists have come up with a different idea: they were religious artifacts, as most of them have been found at Gallo-Roman sites.

Small metal dodecahedron found in Roman ruins somewhere near Frankfurt. Image credits: ltub / Wiki Commons

There’s a joke in the science world saying that if an anthropologist doesn’t know what something is for, it’s for religious purposes – and if a biologist doesn’t know what something is for, it’s for sexual display. This may very well be the case here as there isn’t any strong evidence to support religious purposes either.

So the objects, all of which feature twelve flat pentagonal faces, a circular hole in the middle, and a number of knobs at each corner point, are still a mystery. It’s not likely that they served as a measuring instrument of any kind because they were not standardized – they came in many different sizes and even their openings arrangement and size vary. To make things even stranger, the ones in Europe were made of stone or bronze, but smaller dodecahedra with the same features (holes and knobs)  made of gold have been found in South-East Asia – so the material was not a big concern.

Another German dodecahedron – most of them were found in Germany. Image credits: Iijjccoo / Wiki Commons.

So they could have been strictly decorative or they could have played a religious role – or why not, maybe a different purpose we’re completely missing. Either way, the Roman Dodecahedra remain a big archaeological mystery, one for which there will likely never be a certain answer.

RelatedPosts

‘Flower burial’ cave offers new insight into Neanderthal death rites
What Greenland’s landscape looks like without any ice
Researchers identify gene that makes plants and fungi play nice — we’ll use it to make better crops
Earth’s gravity is shaped like a ‘potato’

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Biology

The Fungus Behind the Pharaoh’s Curse Might Help Cure Leukemia

byTudor Tarita
43 minutes ago
Anthropology

The Woman of Margaux: Reconstructing the Face and Life of a 10,500-Year-Old Hunter-Gatherer

byTudor Tarita
49 minutes ago
Archaeology

An Overlooked Hill in Bolivia Turned Out to Be One of the Andes’ Oldest Temples

byTudor Tarita
1 hour ago
Animals

One-Third of the World’s Scavengers are Disappearing And This Could Trigger a Human Health Crisis

byRupendra Brahambhatt
1 hour ago

Recent news

The Fungus Behind the Pharaoh’s Curse Might Help Cure Leukemia

July 2, 2025

The Woman of Margaux: Reconstructing the Face and Life of a 10,500-Year-Old Hunter-Gatherer

July 2, 2025

An Overlooked Hill in Bolivia Turned Out to Be One of the Andes’ Oldest Temples

July 2, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.