The UnXplained: Mystery of the Roman Dodecahedron (S6)

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I love how archeologist's default to "It was used in religious practices" any time there is an object they can't explain.

I get so tired of people saying, “But this was ahead of their time. Blah blah blah”. Yet there it is and known to be Roman! So it’s obviously right in their time. We little ol’ humans are some rather intelligent beings. Quit dumbing our ancestors down!💛

I think the most obvious clue is the differing hole sizes. It's some sort of measuring device.

When I look at this the first thing that comes to my mind is the fact that every hole is a different size which makes me believe that traders back in those days had coins and silver bits all different sizes and this tool was used to judge the actual value of their coins. That's what I believe this is.

Unless someone finds a owner's manual, we'll never know and just be guessing

Absolute fact: These are spaghetti serving sizers. That is all

It might even be a "net maker" and you just keep pulling the center of the net through the hole as you make it and the different sizes is for different rope so they can make cargo nets and stuff.

that scene from little mermaid when she thinks a fork is a comb

the picture showing the blacksmith working while wearing nothing but a cape tied around his neck that hes sitting on probably wouldnt pass OSHA dress code nowadays

The world is not round. the world is not flat. The world is a dodecahedron

A YouTuber named Amy Gaines solved what that thing is. It's a tool for making jewelry; specifically rope-style gold chains. Watch her video. She goes through the process from beginning to end of creating a rope chain using a dodecahedron she had 3-D printed.

Might be for inspectors. They can use standardized things on the site and then use different sized holes to look through to messure stuff using perspective. Or maybe for tying complex knots. Or the bumps are for locking it into a base so you can pull wire through it and make it thinner and thinner, or pull rope and string through it to make it tighter and tighter. Or for measure a common trade item and they stick it in the different sized holes as a measurement. Or maybe for tying 2 or 3 horse rigging together and you can slide it to make it more even or adjust the pull. Or for adding extra carts to a oxen puller.

Look at everything they built in that city, and they think these people needed to be rocket scientists to build a 12 sided box?

They could also be used to make different sized cordage and ropes.

It's called a Lost Wax Casting. Pattern is made of wax and then sand mold is made around it and the wax melted out and the metal poured in.

The Roman-Gallo dod was created by Gallic/German blacksmiths for the Roman troop arms merchants (called Negotiatores) for trade with Auxiliary troop arms officers. It was used for measurement, procurement & maintenance of the Auxiliary troop's polearm weapon shafts. Auxiliary troops (in contrast with the Legion troops) were allowed to use their own weapons and the dod ensured standardized specs. This would include the diameter of the mid shaft, the taper of the shaft just outside/away from the joint at the weapon head socket, and the taper of the wood shaft that's just inside the head socket.   For an expanded explanation, seach quora under my name.

I think the thing on the picture at the beginning is an universal stand for something that used to exist. Many of their liquids where held in a vessel that had a point base. Example: You go to the store and buy some wine. You get home and flip the base around until you find the best fit for the wine bottle. Then you sit it on the object to hold it upright.

Its a gambling game. Several ways to play it. Individually: gamble on which hole will land up, or against an opponent and who ever rolls the larger hole wins. Plus several other ways.

It is used for making a torch. The reusable object slides onto a pole or branch that is thinner at the tip than the base. The different size holes are for different diameter branches. The opposing holes are slightly different in size. This keeps it from sliding down on the hand of the torch bearer. The round nodes help keep cloth (usually soaked in a type of wax) or linen strips tied in place. I read they are found mostly in the northern latitudes where the winter nights are long