Mysterious Roman dodecahedron to go on display in Lincoln [View all]

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The dodecahedron on display at the National Civil War Centre, Newark Museum
Picture from https://nortondisneyhag.org/?page_id=2406

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/apr/29/mysterious-roman-dodecahedron-display-lincoln

Mysterious Roman dodecahedron to go on display in Lincoln

There are no known descriptions or drawings of object in Roman literature, making its purpose unclear

Jessica Murray, Midlands correspondent
Mon 29 Apr 2024 06.02 EDT

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They are known as one of archaeology’s great enigmas – hollow 12-sided objects from the Roman era with no known purpose or use.

Only 33 of these mysterious dodecahedrons have ever been found in Britain and now one, unearthed during an amateur archaeology dig after 1,700 years underground, is going on public display in Lincoln as part of a history festival.

Found in Norton Disney, near Lincoln, in the summer of 2023, the artefact is one of the largest of its kind ever found, measuring 8cm tall and weighing 254g.

Its excavation was particularly important as it was found where it was placed 1,700 years ago, meaning the site could hold clues as to its purpose. Only three other examples of dodecahedra have been found on archaeological excavations.

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