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Dodecahedron
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Bronze dodecahedron. Rilled design along joins. One knob absent - smoothed over. Overall size 70-80 mm. Called a dodechedron because of it's twelve sides, this object is one of only a handful found in Britain. It was found just outside the Roman walled town of Magna at Kenchester, Herefordshire in 1986. All dodecahedra have holes of different sizes in each of their twelve sides. Despite the many theories as to their use, no definitive identification has ever been made. They could be scientific instruments, or perhaps used for guaging or measuring. They may be elaborate game pieces, or utilitarian artefacts such as candle holders. Perhaps most convincingly, it has been suggested they were used in astrology and cosmology. Dodecahedra are found elsewhere in the north-west provinces of the Roman Empire, particularly France, Switzerland and Germany. Many are found clustered in the same broad area. In Britain they are focused around London and Hertfordshire, on Hadrians Wall and in the South English-Welsh border area. The Magna dodecahedron falls in this latter group, which includes one discovered at Goodrich in the south of Herefordshire in 1877-78, one recovered at Lydney in Gloucestershire in 1928 and another from Carmarthenshire. A fragment of a second smaller dodecahedron was recently found in a box of objects from Magna.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | L217 |
| Date | 43 - 410 |
| Period | Roman |
| Collection | Archaeology |
| Technique | Cast |
| Material | Bronze |
| Creator | |
| Name | |
| Locality | Magna; Kenchester |
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