Roman dodecahedrons: purpose still unknown

Transcript

Roman dodecahedrons were small hollow copper-alloy objects, usually dated to the second through fourth centuries CE, and scholars have suggested they may have been surveying tools, candle holders, toys, fortune-telling devices, or ritual objects. Some researchers think they helped measure distance or sunlight, but the evidence is weak because the objects vary in size, have no inscriptions, and do not show a standard design. We still do not know its true use because no Roman text or image explains it, and the finds are scattered across different sites and contexts, leaving the mystery unresolved.