What were Roman Dodecahedrons used for?

As you mentioned, nobody knows what these devices were used for so everybody is guessing. My WAG is these are deliberately cryptic parts of a Roman Empire administrator's tool set. Possibly these items identify which scytale should be used for encryption and decryption of messages. They might be a way to authenticate or certify a document the way a wax seal once performed.

I like the idea that they may have been used for encrypting/decrypting messages. I haven't heard of scytales before.

We used to put special candles in these, it was the first windproof light...there was also plates that snapped in over the windows for really windy conditions....they still went out....

What were Roman Dodecahedrons used for?

I'm guessing gambling, 12 sided dice. Maybe you each roll one, and the bigger hole wins.

A couple of questions for the dice theory: 1. The different size holes will make for uneven weight distribution. Not a good feature for dice. 2. The corner 'bobbles' don't add anything to a dice function so why make the casting more complicated/diffucult?

Knitting fingers for gloves? Different sized holes in pairs. Did the ancient romans have six fingers?

Two of the pictures in the Wikipedia article: the icosahedron in Bonn and the dodecahedron in Stuttgart have clearly visible Arabic numerals on them: surely no archaeologist is going to scratch numbers on a valuable artefact in order to index it in some way. Sorry no pictures or links I seem to lose editing privileges when replying to my own OPs.

Wikipedia article

Icosahedron in Bonn

Stuttgart

Thanks

Rope (or similar) winding

I remember reading somewhere that these were used for knitting the fingers in gloves.

Some these dodecahedrons have been found made from gold.

Was the knitting of gloves a stress-relieving therapeutic pastime?

That's the only reason (that I can think of) for a wealthy person to knit gloves.

Simple enough..they were planters for flowers,fruits,etc. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=planting+strawberrie+in+a+holy+barrel&t=newext&atb=v313-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.minifarmlife.com%2Fimages%2Farticles%2Fdiy%2Fstrawbarrel%2Fstrawbarrel1.jpg

Rotate the container to get more or less light to control the blossoming and ripening rate of the fruit.

I tried to paste the image,but it would not paste.Anyone know why?

I tried many different formats,so no avail.

I had a look at this picture of a model at shapeways.com

https://www.shapeways.com/product/7RFGLV2WS/roman-dodecahedron?optionId=61592742&li=marketplace

Of course I have no idea how accurate it is, but it looks like a good copy.

There are only six hole sizes and each is opposite its twin.

I tried to measure the hole sizes with an on screen pixel ruler with the following approximate results:- 132, 163, 198, 232, 264, 302. If we assume a basic unit U say: that looks like 4U, 5U, 6U, 7U, 8U and 9U.

This kind of rules out a dice (die?): if you only want six sizes then stick to a cube.

It also doesn't look like a sensible gradation of finger sizes for a glove.

(Hope this looks OK, the editor is really playing up)

Timeframe more or less coincides with the popularization of pasta... with your guess regarding hole size increments, I’ll go with portion of dry pasta measurement device.

Those dodecahedrons were used for centuries if not a millennium before Marco Polo was born. Centuries before Marco was born but after the Roman Empire fell, Syrians brought pasta to Sicily.

I still like the joke but the timeline is all wrong.

Fairly obvious, one would think. The mistake was made in '78 - 16 is way to young. But oh no, it went ahead until all the complaints began - all the families going to the seaside impinged. The Via Portuense becomes the new Coliseum. So Caesar Vespasianus was left with no option but supply his Hi-Way patrols with these speed trap devices. Seriously, how can a young boy of 16 control a 4 horse chariot, pray tell? And there are fools and idiots saying that WOMEN should be allowed to drive...

My son has suggested that they could be used to sort coins.

You could easily selectively block the holes with cord wrapped around the knobs. Lots of other possibilities here.

Fill the device with mixed coins through one of the largest holes; block the large hole; unblock the smallest hole and shake; stack the smallest coins; unblock the next smallest holes and shake; stack the next smallest coins, et cetera.

Of course you could just use it as a piggy bank until it's full.

(Edit: side note, editing before posting does not fix the editing icon problem, but editing after posting within the time out period does.)

What are the overall measurements? Are they the size of dice (less than 25mm) or larger?

Good question!

According to Amelia Carolina Sparavigna they are between 4 to 11 centimeters in diameter.

She describes in the linked article how they could be used to measure distance to a remote object.

The model she uses is made according to one of her references:-

An excavation on the edge of the Jublains thermal baths (Mayenne)

So . . . . . not really dice sized, and probably a bit big to carry around for a code deciphering thingy.

I can see why this is such an intriguing object.

I was thinking surveying as well. I can see running a string around the knobs to make a pentagram in the middle of each hole that is the same on all sides of the device and can be used for alignment by sighting through each hole. A pair of guys with spears and a known length of rope tied between them can walk out away from the guy sighting until both spears reach the edge of the far hole and then the distance would be known by which hole was viewed through. Or something like that.

Otherwise, why different size holes and why the knobs?

But why make one in GOLD?

From Wickpedia - "Similar decorative gold dodecahedrons have been found in the Pyu city-states and Khao Sam Kaeo"

I saw a program on the Science channel and they thought it waw used for measuring distances for road construction. They were short on details but that was their conclusion.

Any early version of this?

It's a gauge for measuring shaft sizes for spears of different types...and a smaller graduated shaft size for the spear heads and foot to fit tightly...probably had one for arrows as well...

https://www.quora.com/How-many-javelins-did-ancient-skirmishers-usually-have

https://romanmilitary.net/tools/pilum/

Come on, guys! That's obviously a device for making bows for wrapping presents!

They found a bunch of them but still no clear answer what they were used for.I read only theories like tools, measuring stuff or some kind of ritual object.