Making A Bronze Roman Dodecahedron 

Saw an interesting take on this recently where these could be used for making braided gold chains that match historical museum pieces from the era.

I love this video and all the work you put into your bronze! Then ... a surprise and shocking ending!

It reminds me of the ball for different size yarn or cloth or rope we used as a child to make rugs of all types. Different size holes made for using different types of materials to make a long rope for rugs. The little buttons are perfect for what we used to use such as nails to help loop the yarn or such into making the weave for the rope of the rugs.

Hilarious ending Lucas!! I love your humor, and the informative journey along the way. I look forward to my fist casting... My guess for the original use of the "holed variety" was to give value to other nations coins. Ancient coins were quite small just like the holes in the dodecahedron which might have been useful for travelling traders, but the silver/gold value would never-the-less translate across nations borders.

Nope, we now know exactly and precisely what these things are. They are jigs used to create gold wire chain of different thickness, which is decided by which hole you use to pull the almost-finished wire chain tight through. Have a search on YT for the lovely lady who demonstrates exactly how they were used, and what kind of chain they produced. MYSTERY SOLVED 100%.

Nice! Love the nubs and that you left it confuse the future!

Man that was a great video. I wish I could go back in time and try my hand at what you're doing. Looks fascinating.

Nice pour and I love the narrative

Lol, that was great. I was thinking you should bury it for someone to find later… and you did. That was awesome lol. Great video.

Regarding the Roman Dodecahedron, the proposed purpose that I like most is “Candle Holder”. -The holes fit various sizes of candles, since there was no standardized manufacturing -Heavy and stable - very important with a burning candle -Will not catch fire when candle burns down -Rings on each face catch dripping wax (which was found on some of them) -The ball feet keep it stable on irregular surfaces -The Dodecahedron are found in the northern parts of the Roman Empire where winter nights are longer and candles were more necessary and valuable.

The best hypothesis I've heard about what the Roman dodecadrons are, is they are for creating coded communications. The holes indicate what specific coding wheel would fit (12 wheels). Each coding wheel would have 25 characters in a circle, with 5 characters between each knob. After each word is decoded, the dial would be turned five characters over. Just have to find the dials. As the rest of the Roman military used nautical communication around the Mediterranean, the northern Europe forces used horse riders who were more vulnerable to interception than naval vessels.

That came out real nice.

Stationary. Desk object. Used to easily tighten parchment scrolls then tie off for use by carrier pigeons. Send me one, and I'll show you how and explain why.

Beautiful! I have a feeling that the purpose of the knobs is to lift the piece from a flat surface when sitting on one of its flat sides.

I could hardly believe seeing this! I currently have one shelled up in investment, identical but slightly larger.Used sheet wax instead of 3DP. Waiting to cast a few things the same day. the sprue and vents were very tricky, I'm also hesitaing since it may not work. I guess I thought I was the only one trying to make what you have succeeded in nicely. Obviously NOT for making gloves, as they pre-date knitting by 100's of years, and the nubs are all the same each side. You keep impressing me, Sir!

GReat video and good casting....!

Romans used glass unguent bottles. Some have round bottoms and wouldn't stand on a table top. I think you just put your bottle in this stand while you do your toilette. That explains the different size holes in each face; they're for different size bottles.

very nice work!

A very cool video, well done. Of course there are a small number of "cheats" involved here - I'm no expert but I'd wager a reasonably tidy sum the Romans didn't have 3D printers, plastic or power tools, but no matter the video makes clear there is both a lot of skill and a lot of work involved in making this thing even with modern tools. As to what this thing was for why not ask the question "Why did Lungdron make this thing?" Well, probably to prove to himself, and to others, that he could. A test of skill in his craft. One might easily imagine a Roman metal craftsman in 400AD noticing a competitor in another town on a visit who had one of these things sitting prominently on a plinth in his shop window. It says "Hey guys, if I can make this you can be sure I can make anything you want to the best possible quality and precision!". So the dude goes home and tries to make one himself for his shop window. So there you have it, another hypothesis for the origins of this mysterious object: it's basically an advertisement that gradually became a meme in Roman metal crafting circles around 300-400AD.

Since these were found in coin hoards, I wonder if the sizes of the holes match the diameter of coins of the time. Maybe a way to detect clipped coinage?

Very impressive.

Not a mystery - going along the edges, we have to traverse the vertices of the dodecahedron so that we pass through each vertex only once returning to the vertex we departed. All peaks must be touched. The traversal of the vertices in the Roman logic game can be guided using a piece of thread, fixing it to the small spheres at the vertices of the dodecahedron to mark the path. (kind of Ancient Rubik's Cube, a logical game of the Romans). Hamilton-path, Graph Theory, Discrete Mathematics. Naturally, the design cast in bronze was a luxury item, common version was carved in wood and a nail driven into each vertex guiding the thread.

it is for Knitting, there is a video from 10 years ago where a lady shows how to make fingers for gloves using them.

These mysterious objects could have been used as a 6 way corner support for temporary shelters. The nubs would provide a secure lashing point. Easy to assemble and easy to break down.

I wonder if an experienced OSINTer would be able to geolocate that place so I could have my own bronze Roman Dodecahedron replica haha. Good job, sir!

Yo I found this channel because I wanted to grow a stalagmite, this some underrated shit hope you pop off pal. I'm gonna start a cave sculpture soon hopefully, subbed and take care.

LMAO great vid, I do love your attitude, great idea to leave it for the future metal detectorist to find, :)

These were found mostly in the northern climes of the Roman Empire. There are several YT videos showing these used as a type of loom to weave gloves each hole corresponds to fingers and thumb. Given the ingenuity of the Romans, these probably were also used for weaving ropes, braids, etc. Nice work, BTW, making your own...wish you had kept it, and try to weave with it.

A conversation piece, proof of casting skill and artistry. A luxury item without practical use?

Military ciphers. All found near Roman military bases. Different Wheels, that had letters, had different codes. The wheels had pegs of different sizes to correspond to the dodecahedron holes. Sender and receivers of encrypted messages matched up the correct size holes to decipher the code. First enigma machine basically. Only the metal lasted the eons.

This needs more views! Searching for Roman Dodecahedron and this was the first video Google showed.

Probably for a game of sorts (like dice?). They could have been inserting spheres that would go only through certain holes. If someone spins the "dice" and manages to get the ball out through the hole, wins (loses?). Speculations are fun. I'm surprised that one hasn't come up.

8:46 - I see a surprised face. 😮

Very nice!

It's for knitting gloves. The sizes of the holes and their positions and experimenting have proven out the technique.

As a former archaeologist, I appreciate the final resting place. I once thought I wanted to be buried with a collection of stone tools and an ipod, just to confuse a future archaeology student.

It can be used to make a copper chain, jewellery. The holes were different sizes for feeding the chain through to make it narrower each time. I made such a chain without the dodecahedron so I know what she was doing on the video I watched. Also someone used it in the style of childhood French knitting. A hole for each finger and two ovals, one for each hand. 12 holes in total.

I'm gonna go look for it

Have you replicated a whorl? ... a drop spindle whorl? ... a high tech drop spindle whorl designed to function with a set of 6 tapered spindles for drafting 6 different weights of thread from a distaff holding a mass of unspun fibers? The whorl adds a stabilizing weight to the spindle and the spherical array of rounded nubs add a smooth tread for rolling the dangling whorl between the solitary weaver's hand and thigh, or between the hands of an assistant.

I feel it could be a gambling game. Stuff it with coins. Toss or roll it. The winner gets what falls out. But I still think candle holder is most likely.

Is for map reading distance, the knob is placed on the map then rolled to the next point and so forth and so on, and this is the way.

Hahaha man I was going to comment that you should bury it to confuse people in the future... and you did anyway... 🥰😍🥰

The end has the vibe of a trickster deity who got robbed of their powers and decided to get some down to earth hobbies and use those to make do.

They are tent supports. 6 makes 2 gable walls held in tension with rope. You can spin it to accommodate different sized sticks to form the gable walls of the tent.

Good ending, I too have left 'things' that I hope future archaeologists will find, some with very subtle clues of their true nature others without. 🙂

Its a candle holder, allows for different sized candles as there was no EU standards in those days - candle sizes varied from candlemaker to candlemaker, town to town. Even fill it with wax - put a wick in it for more or less light.. Solved.

I think it was for games, a kind of dice. It must have had some symbols on each side

How would they have made the decretive circles and some of the patterns around the holes? Would it have all been cast or would details marked in afterwards?

A RU-vidr named Amy Gaines solved what that thing is. It's a tool for making jewelry; specifically rope chains.

It's better to call them "Roman Era Dodecahedra" as they apparently were not roman, but more likely celtic.

The dodecahedrons are in fact a Tessera Arca (Knuckle Box ring sizer) and were used specifically to measure the fingers (knuckle) in order to size rings that were made from coins . Back in the day if you wanted a ring made from precious metal the easiest way to do this was to use an old coin. However this practise of destroying legal tender was just as illegal back in the day as it is in most countries today so the craftsmen and women who offered this service were usually transitory and highly secretive about their trade. This accounts for the service not being available in the Mediterranean (heart of the) Roman Empire, and generally practised in the North-West of the Empire. As such no dodecahedra have been found outside this region to date. The client impressed and encouraged by the sheer craftsmanship of the dodecahedron, that was a remarkable feat of engineering skill in those days, would slip their chosen ring ringer or thumb into the 12 available holes of the dodecahedron until the correct fit was ascertained. The craftsman would then place the coin to be used (a 34mm Sestertius) over the hole using the surrounding nodules to hold the coin in position whilst it was scribed from the opposite side (from within the dodecahedron) with the outline of the circle. The coin could now be removed from the tessera and worked. Firstly a hole would have been drilled and cut in the centre of the coin. in the centre of the coin, almost as wide as the guide mark. The coin would then be placed on a tapered metal spike and hammered with a soft mallet so it folds over until it makes a flat ring. A bit of filing and the ring is finished and fits perfectly. A skilled technician could thus create a ring whilst his customer waited, in just a couple of hours, and then on receipt of payment disappear into the shadows. Of course there were easier ways to size a ring, they could have used a simple bunch of sample rings, but this would be much more conspicuous and far less alluring than a dodecahedron placed on a dimly lit tavern table, probably with a small candle lit inside to accentuate the object and add to its mysticism and curiosity. The tessera was not just a tool, it was a shop window advertising sign. And of course if the craftsman were caught in possession of a dodecahedron, well the authorities would be totally baffled and have no better idea of its actual use just as we do today. PLEASE WATCH MY VIDEO OF THE DODECAHEDRON BEING USED

It's a device that was used mostly by businessmen to sort large amounts of objects, for trading purposes. Mostly for coins. It was made of metal by craftsmen and rings or other markings where added to make cheating harder. You'd plug the holes, fill it up and then open the smaller holes first. The nubs where added so it could be held more easily or roll them while leaving enough room so the coins could still fall out.

Matt Geevan posted a video 12 days ago in which he seems to have discovered the purpose and use of the dodecahedron.

Totally a knitting tool. It forms various sizes of knitted tubes.

The background music at open is very creepy!

OK, I absolutely LOVE this, because I have been contemplating making a dodecahedron, myself. Mainly because I know I will never be rich enough to own a real one. I had planned to build it out of wax plates, and then cast it by centrifugal force, because I don't have the foundry setup yet, but it's the same idea. Of course, it just kills me that you tossed it in the bog... speaking of which, you should probably add a runestone. Which, considering where you are, shouldn't even raise an eyebrow. 😄 How did you fix the small flaw in the casting? Tig weld?

It's a whistle. When Launched (Romans did not have gun powder) it would emit a very loud and scary whistle ! ! !

10 years from now: "Ancient Romans in the USA"!!! XD

Found maybe the best tutorial on lost wax investment casting? Paul Hamler's video in titled "Investment Casting or lost wax casting demonstrated". He mass produces hundreds of intricate metal parts. Not sure if youtube will delete link to another youtube channel or not but here goes anyhow: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-06t2_2I2tZk.html

👍

I am coming to dig it out now ... o_O

The video is pretty awesome. I am thinking of making one myself. Might I ask where you found the STL you used? After looking on thingiverse I found many Roman Dodecahedron, but no file with both separate nubs and rings around the holes. ^c^

Today we use them to knit gloves.

The Gallo-Roman dod was used by Roman troop arms merchants (Negotiatores), to measure, procure & for maintainence of the Auxiliary troop polearm weapon (wood) shafts. It measures the diameter of the mid shaft (in some instances), the taper of the shaft near the join at the weapon head socket, and the taper of the shaft, that resides inside the head socket. If you are an archeologist or history researcher, & need more info, let me know.

The theory that they were for kitting gloves makes most sense to me. why else have those knobs?

Used for knitting gloves.

Very philosophical nub theory - good one hoser! Also one hell of an ending - my bet is on an asteroid and the archeologists can't find it, but Indiana Jones is resurrected, finds the coveted dodecahedron and the legend lives on... Quoteable quote: "a doohickey by any other name is still a rose". Huh?

I thought the main theory was for knitting gloves, since it works very well for that purpose, and possibly more importantly, they've only been found in northern Europe. All of the other proposed uses would have been just as important all around the Roman empire; religious, astronomical, economical, or social, would still be relevant. And it'd make sense there isn't anything documenting it, the tools of specialized work usually aren't preserved in writing or art, they're passed from master to apprentice. There was another case I remember hearing of these strange polished bone pieces "used for religious or ceremonial purposes" and then a leather worker went, "hey, I use one, and mine is still made of bone too cuz it works better than wood, metal, or plastic"

Some have commented that knitting gloves, that is possible. The most convincing thing I've seen is using them to make gold necklace chains. If you see someone do this in demo, they use all the holes and the result is exactly like some of the ancient gold weave chains that have been found.

Probably was a candlestick holder

great video though !

it's for knitting glove fingers

What about coin tubes....coin belts...like we use paper tubes for coin rolls. It would make sense that they would be with pay masters?

Should it be a solaror lunar calendar ?

Do they make a sound if you throw them? Or like if you attach a rope and spin it?

It finds the Equinox. Align the thing to Polaris, the North Star each night. At first light, observe the shadows being cast by the 'balls' in contact with table... If you see exactly three shadows, Equinox. I used a museum replica thingee IRL, and lots of Blender simulations.

Can I get the 3 d model file you found?

It's a 12 month calendar (the 12 month calendar created by Julius Ceasar just over 100 years prior) and the wood or paper dials with a raised turning tab are missing.

They where used as a decoration when tie ropes,

How can I get one of these

What do you think? Roman had that time 12 main gods. 12 gods patheon altar and that Dodecahedron has 12 sides/holes. My brains thinks that is how you keep your gods with you. Very precious decoration!

It's a knitting device, check it in internet. Cheers

It seems that this nifty object was used to make gloves. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-76AvV601yJ0.html It possibly was the precursor of a knitting nancy (tricotin). one could make various sizes thanks to the various sizes of the holes. When you find an object back nearly everywhere over Europe, that is it likely of as common use as a spoon, you've got to change perspective and look at your old granny who has no smartphone and still does things by hand. I do believe that this is what it was used for.

For Glove knitting.

‼️👏👏‼️

Just saw another video on YT that claims these were used in the sending and receiving of encrypted messages. It seems quite plausible and explains several things, like the knobs on each vertex, the rings around some of the holes, the reason why they are found associated with either very wealthy merchants or the military, and why it has 12 differently-sized holes on the item. Video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vBDgmE3d0aw.html

I love you for that ending! You are a true stoic. Was the mold broken to open it? I would love to take one of these to my Rennaisance faire.

This object was created by Gallic blacksmiths for Negotiatores (Roman troop arms merchants). It was used to measure, procure & maintain the Auxiliary troop's polearm weapon shafts.

Must duplicate it exactly. Don't make up your own hole pattern. Use lots of photos of existing versions. Suppose it was a modern single flat plate with the same holes. Then obviously its for creating wood dowels of various sizes. Hammer a rough-carved stick through it to get started, then later just yank it through each smaller aperture. If they were scattered all over, mostly in remote military camps and not in cities, then they'd be for "mass production" of arrow shafts, not just for any smooth dowels. Any giant ones? Those are for making smooth spears.

This was probably a game.

They're for knitting gloves!

Chinese know what they are and they got the idea from Rome. In Rome they were used tied to Leather Straps onto Flogs(Flagellums) used as whips for beating criminals and slaves. Some larger ones as you are showing were used on battle Flogs.

Trolling by throwing it in the bog lol nice work and video 🤌

This has been solved you put a dowl through and knit gold or silver wire below round and round like a French dolly , then you pass the knitted wire through from large the the oppersit large holes then change and pass the wire 😮through next smaller oppersit holes and so on and you end up with a tightly twisted gold chain . It’s on utube

Romans Knew There Shit...

They are for crocheting gloves, right?

Because FU Archeologists! I love it. Best video ever.

Knitting fingers for gloves is a possibility or measure portions of spaghetti...

Era tu llave, para viajar en el tiempo ...😣

Stop speculating and look the video below. It can be used as a knitting device, for ropes, gloves and jewelry. The presentation in the video is very convincing. It was first? discovered 2014 but the presentation lacked in persuasiveness.