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A Roman dodecahedron or Gallo-Roman dodecahedron is a type of small hollow object made of copper alloy that has been cast into a regular dodecahedral shape with twelve flat pentagonal faces.

Each face has a circular hole of varying diameter in the middle, the holes connecting to the hollow center, and each corner has a protruding knob. They rarely show signs of wear and do not have any inscribed numbers or letters. Since the first known example was recorded in 1739, over one hundred such objects have been discovered, dating from the 2nd to the 4th centuries AD.

Roman dodecahedra are cast in metal, usually a copper alloy. They are in the shape of regular dodecahedra, with the addition of a small metal ball at each vertex; each face has a circular hole in the centre. The dodecahedra vary in size from 4–11 cm (1.6–4.3 inches); the holes in their faces have diameters ranging from 6–40 mm (0.24–1.57 inches). The metal balls on the vertices of the dodecahedra are not perfectly regular, suggesting that they were made without the use of a mould. They are generally soldered to the body of the dodecahedron, though the example from Carmarthen in the collection of the Society of Antiquaries of London was cast as a single piece, including the balls. One example, found in London, has clusters of three balls at each corner rather than just one.

The first Roman dodecahedron to be recorded was presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London on 28 June 1739 and was reported to have been found in a field in Aston, Hertfordshire, England. Since then, about 130 similar objects have been found in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, but not in the Roman heartland in Italy. Fragments of two dodecahedra discovered in modern Slovakia, near Chotín and Hurbanovo, were found outside of the boundaries of the Roman empire. In 2023, a dodecahedron in excellent condition was found by amateur archeologists in the small village of Norton Disney in Lincolnshire, UK, bringing the total to 33 such objects found on the territory of Roman Britain. One dodecahedron was found in a tomb alongside a bone object that might have been a kind of handle; however, it was in too bad a condition to excavate and preserve.

The purpose of Roman dodecahedra has been much debated: more than fifty possible explanations have been published. Scholars discussing the purpose of the objects almost always note the philosophical significance of the dodecahedron in classical thought, which is often believed to have a ritual purpose. It has also been suggested that they might have been an object to test the skill of a metalsmith, perhaps as part of a portfolio to demonstrate their capabilities to customers or as a way to qualify for a certain status in a Roman guild.

A Roman icosahedron has also been discovered, after having long been misclassified as a dodecahedron. In 2009, metal detectorists in France reported the discovery of an object at Saint-Trivier-de-Courtes, similar to the Roman dodecahedra but spherical, with triangular and pentagonal holes. A solid silver Roman dodecahedron was discovered in Geneva in 1982; each face is inscribed with the name of one of the signs of the zodiac. Smaller dodecahedra with the same features (holes and knobs) and made from gold have been found in Southeast Asia, along the Maritime Silk Road, and the earliest items appear to be from the Roman epoch. Parallels have also been drawn to Scottish carved stone balls, Gallo-Roman sceptre heads from Sturton by Stow and Suffolk, and a dodecahedron from Ptolemaic Egypt.

Minutes of meeting, 28 June 1739, Society of Antiquaries of London: the earliest recorded discovery of a Roman dodecahedron

Quick Facts

• The first Roman dodecahedron to be recorded was presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London on 28 June 1739 and was reported to have been found in a field in Aston, Hertfordshire, England.
• Minutes of meeting, 28 June 1739, Society of Antiquaries of London: the earliest recorded discovery of a Roman dodecahedron
• In 2023, a dodecahedron in excellent condition was found by amateur archeologists in the small village of Norton Disney in Lincolnshire, UK, bringing the total to 33 such objects found on the territory of Roman Britain.
• Since the first known example was recorded in 1739, over one hundred such objects have been discovered, dating from the 2nd to the 4th centuries AD.
• They are generally soldered to the body of the dodecahedron, though the example from Carmarthen in the collection of the Society of Antiquaries of London was cast as a single piece, including the balls.

Source material: Wikipedia - "Roman dodecahedron". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.