
The Mysterious Bronze Objects That Have Baffled Archaeologists for Centuries - cryptozeus
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/514246/are-roman-dodecahedrons-worlds-most-mysterious-artifact?a_aid=45307
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pvaldes
Seems obvious that this knobs are useless ornamentation except for temporarily
ataching some kid of string (permanent attached strings would grant a handle
instead). And the objects are not worned out, so probably for use indoors in
light works not related with fire or painting.

My first though was that the holes could be used for measuring spaguetti, or
weat beams for taxes or agriculture, or a rule for architecture, but some
facts points to a domestic and femenine activity.

1) is not even mentioned in old documents when roman empire was obsessed with
documenting everything related with war and bureaucracy

2) occurs widespread

3) does not need numbers engrabbed (but the numbers could be the number of
concentric rings also).

4) Is intended to measure a discrete interval. Not more not less. Is always a
small object. If it was for measuring groups of things the interval is
continuous and has not upper limit.

In that case one could expect finding versions of the object in middle and big
sizes also for measuring bigger groups of objects. Roman balances were yet
available for that. If they were measuring something, this something can't
growth indefinitely and can't be too small either.

Thus a finger glove maker seems like a perfect and most logical explanation.

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simonh
>2) occurs widespread

They're only found on the northern border of the empire, but that is
consistent with being a finger glove maker too. It's colder, so more need for
gloves.

I dismissed this explanation initially as a bit silly and mundane, but it
really is the only one that makes sense to me. The knobs at the corners are
perfectly designed to hold a loop of yarn and I can't see what else they're
good for.

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rubyn00bie
Hmmm... I wonder if they were like audition pieces for army blacksmiths or
maybe from a school of them, e.g. "Okay, you're good enough if you can make
one of these things."

Might explain why there are a lot of them, and all so seemingly different...

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wmeredith
This is mentioned in the article.

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w1
The look like a fancy version of a gauging tool [1]. Each hole could have been
used to measure the diameter of a different sized rod, sphere, or coin..

[1] [https://www.eastwood.com/sheet-metal-
gauge.html](https://www.eastwood.com/sheet-metal-gauge.html)

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simonh
That seems unlikely as these don't come in standard sizes, and don't have any
numbers inscribed on them.

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Wildgoose
I immediately thought knitting/crochet - and that was then shown in the
embedded video later.

(I have vague recollections of using a cardboard ring to make a pom-pom out of
wool when I was an infant).

