The unresolved enigma of the roman dodecahedron: what was its purpose?
The mysterious finds have been found in every part of Europe: from Wales to Hungary, from Italy to Germany. The function and use of the Roman dodecahedron remain a mystery, also because they are not mentioned in any report, chronicle or image from the Roman era.
There is a small 2,000 year old object that is driving archaeologists all over the world crazy and that refuses to reveal its secrets. The object is the "Roman Dodecahedron", a name attributed to a series of small hollow objects in bronze or stone, composed of twelve flat pentagonal faces, each with a circular hole of 8 centimeters in the centre.
The size of these enigmatic objects, which are estimated to date back to the 2nd or 3rd century AD, varies from 4 to 11 centimeters.
The mysterious finds have been found in every part of Europe: from Wales to Hungary, from Italy to Germany. Currently, about a hundred dodecahedrons are preserved in private collections and museums. They rarely show signs of wear, and do not have any inscribed numbers or letters.
The function and use of the Roman dodecahedron remain a mystery and all attempts to solve the enigma have failed, also because they are not mentioned in any report, chronicle or image of the Roman era.
The most varied hypotheses have been put forward on the use of the Roman Dodecahedron, from the candle holder to the toy, from astronomical observation to engineering calculation, from the decorative object to the religious function.
There are also those who have advanced more exotic hypotheses, citing the Atlantis or the alien hypothesis.
The main question is: was the mysterious dodecahedron really created and used by the Romans, or was it defined as "Roman" simply because it was found at sites that were once part of the Roman Empire?
The simplest hypotheses
The Roman Dodecahedron is not mentioned in any ancient source, therefore, the only way to proceed is by putting forward hypotheses on its use.
Sebastian Heath, professor at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, admitted in an interview on Fox News some time ago that he had no precise idea of what the dodecahedron is. Starting from Heath's idea, Fox News readers have put forward the most varied hypotheses.
There are those who believe it is a simple bell and those who believe it is a candle holder. Some have hypothesized that, after heating it, it was used for relaxing massages. According to one of the readers, the dodecahedron could be a children's toy, or even a simple decorative object.
In any case, Prof. Heath was very struck by the interest aroused by the object and by the quantity of hypotheses advanced, all potentially valid, but none clearly definitive.
Military hypothesis
Another hypothesis was suggested by John Ladd, a retired engineer, according to whom the dodecahedron was used by the Romans to define the optimal geometry of their weapons.
According to Ladd's hypothesis, the dodecahedron was immersed in a fluid, in order to improve the design and manufacture of slingshot projectiles. According to the engineer's complex theory, thanks to Archimedes' push, the Romans were able to determine the deviation of the trajectory of projectiles. The whole theory, with related diagrams and drawings, is presented at http://www.romansystemsengineering.com (now defunct website).
It must be said, however, that dodecahedrons have not always been found in military sites or battlefields. The hypothesis does not take into account that the objects were also found near simple homes.
Engineering hypothesis
Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, of the Department of Applied Science and Technology, at the Polytechnic of Turin, in an interesting article hypothesized that the dodecahedron served as an instrument for measuring distances, especially for surveying and military purposes.
The article explaining the principles of geometric optics underlying this hypothesis can be found on https://arxiv.org/abs/1204.6497
Astronomical hypothesis
Although historiography does not show us a great passion on the part of the Romans for celestial motions and astronomical observation, someone has hypothesized the opposite.
In 2010, Sjra Wagemans of DSM Research proposed a new theory that assigns an astronomical function to these objects. Wagemans used a bronze copy of a dodecahedron to see if it was possible to determine the spring and autumn equinoxes.
According to Wagemans, the dodecahedron is an object linked to the agricultural cycle, sophisticated and simple at the same time. It was used to determine without a calendar, the most suitable period during the autumn for sowing wheat.
And having a good harvest was of vital importance for the Roman legions located in regions far from Rome. What is notable is that Wagemans used an experimental approach, testing the device over a period of a few years and in several places at different latitudes.
Exotic hypotheses
As we have seen, there are many hypotheses and it is not easy to follow a single path.
Other hypotheses have also been put forward by the theorists of the ancient astronauts, according to whom the dodecahedron is what remains of a much more complex technological instrument which the Romans probably didn't even know (Atlantis ?).
Perhaps, the inhabitants of ancient Rome found in their hands objects that they did not understand, dating back to a remote past and which were welcomed by Roman culture using them in the most disparate ways, from candle holders to decorations.
Some independent scholars have put forward the idea that the dodecahedron could represent a sacred symbol for the Druids, ancient priests who animated the cult of the ancient gods who once inhabited the planet.
In this case, the dodecahedron could represent modern man's connection to ancient knowledge of alien visitors who came into contact with our ancestors.
Obviously, these are extremely exotic hypotheses, but given that there is no official explanation, at this stage every theory is valid!
