Can you tell what it is? Archaeologists baffled by bizarre twelve-sided Roman artefact unearthed in Lincolnshire
From cities lost beneath the waves to vast ruins in the jungle, the ancient world is full of tantalizing mysteries in remote locations.
But the latest discovery to baffle archaeologists has been found much closer to home: in the small village of Norton Disney, just outside Lincoln.
A bizarre Roman artifact, believed to have been buried about 1,700 years ago, has twelve sides, each with different sized holes and small beads attached to them.
This enigmatic copper object is one of 33 dodecahedrons found in Britain and, at 8cm tall and weighing 245 grams, is one of the largest ever found.
While theories suggest it could be anything from a crochet tool to an elaborate die, the object’s actual use may be lost to time.
This strange 12-sided Roman object has baffled archaeologists, but do you think you know what it is?
The object was found in the village of Norton Disney, home to Walt Disney’s ancestors, and is one of only 33 Roman dodecahedrons found in Britain.
The object was excavated by volunteers in the summer of 2023 by the Norton Disney History and Archaeological Group.
The dodecahedron was later featured in a recent episode of the BBC show ‘Digging for Britain’.
In the episode, Professor Alison Roberts said: ‘It has to be one of the largest, most mysterious, archaeological objects I have ever had the pleasure of seeing up close.’
Experts believe the mysterious object dates back to the first century AD, during the earliest days of the Roman occupation.
Each side of the hollow metal object contains a hole of different sizes with a round ball at each corner.
These unusual features have led to a host of unusual suggestions about what these strange objects could really have been used for.
Some suggest that these twelve-sided objects could have a connection with Roman religious practices, but Roman texts make no mention of the strange objects.
Dr. Jonathan Foyle, an archaeologist from the University of Bath, told the story the BBC that many seemingly obvious suggestions do not hold up under closer examination.
With its twelve uniform sides, some have suggested that the device may have been used as a dice in some Roman game or gambling.
At 8cm tall and weighing 245 grams, it is one of the largest of the 33 Roman dodecahedrons discovered in Britain
The object is now on display at the Lincoln Museum (pictured), where it will be open to the public until September
Dr. However, Foyle says: ‘Other sizes of dodecahedrons exist which could be more portable if the army was on the move.
“There are no numbers on them, so you can roll them (like dice).”
Despite being made of metal, Dr. Foyle also points out that the object is surprisingly fragile.
The fact that it is still all in one piece after almost 2,000 years suggests that it was carefully maintained rather than used for games.
Another popular theory suggests that these objects were knitting tools, used to make fingers for gloves.
Several modern knitters have even created tutorials on how to use plastic replicas of Roman dodecahedrons to make wearable clothing.
They suggest that by anchoring the yarn on the corner balls, a tube of material can be knitted and pulled through the holes on each side.
By using each of the holes, knitters have shown that you can make tubes of different sizes, which are perfect for making well-fitting gloves.
However, Doctor Foyle says: ‘You can indeed make it into a glove finger, which people have done ingeniously.’
But for the Romans, ‘knitting was not known until centuries later.’
The artefact recently featured in an episode of the BBC’s Digging for Britain, in which Professor Alice Roberts examined the strange object up close.
Lincolnshire, where the object was found, was the site of several Roman settlements and is home to a number of archaeological sites and Roman ruins (pictured)
Other theories also suggest that the different holes could have been used as a way to measure standardized objects such as lead bullets or spears.
In response to suggestions that the device could have been used as an ancient measuring instrument for pasta, Dr. Foyle points out that this main course only came onto the market long after the fall of the Roman Empire.
βWhile the Romans had to wait centuries for pasta, they ate dormice in fish sauce,β he adds.
Similarly, Lorena Hitchens, a PhD candidate at Newcastle University who is studying the object, says she doesn’t think the object has been used to make any measurements at all.
In a post on her website, Ms Hitchens writes: ‘I don’t think dodecahedrons were intended for knitting gloves, measuring spear sizes or surveying.’
She explains: ‘Virtually all theories about tools or other uses are quickly discarded because of the variation in dodecahedrons.
“Because there was no standardization between them, they would not have been effective for measurement.”
This object was discovered by a team of volunteers (pictured) who plan to return to the site this year for further investigation
One theory suggests that the object could have been used to ‘frame’ constellations (pictured). Looking through the holes, the viewer could have framed an image, just like a modern cameraman
Although no theory has yet been confirmed, Dr Foyle thinks the most likely answer is that the object was used to observe the stars.
Dr. Foyle says: ‘What I think it is is a device for imaging the constellations of the zodiac.
“If you look through it, you can map out an image, just like a cameraman.”
One dodecahedron found in Switzerland even contains the names of the zodiac on each of its faces.
Dr. However, Foyle also believes that the object may not have been made by the Romans themselves, but by the ‘people we call the Celts’.
The Romans may have influenced native metalworkers with their ideas about a twelve-sided universe as described by Plato, which could have led them to create the objects for their own use.
‘You don’t find them in the Mediterranean, in the heart of the Roman Empire, and you don’t find them in the unconquered Celtic lands,’ explains Dr Foyle.
For those who want to take a closer look for themselves, the object can be seen at the Lincoln Museum until September.