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The Norton Disney Dodecahedron (Patreon)

Published:
2024-09-26 19:43:30
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

In this month's Time Team News, we featured the mysterious dodecahedron discovered at Norton Disney in Lincolnshire. These extremely rare objects only crop up in very localised parts of the Roman Empire, and their specific function has perplexed archaeologists for centuries.

In this short video, Richard Parker of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Society shares an update on recent excavations and sheds further light on the dodecahedron.

Coming Up: Dig Watch 

The Time Team crew are now busy preparing to visit Norton Disney for our next three-day dig! But, fascinating as the Roman story is, we're moving the narrative on a few centuries later, to investigate the village's Medieval links to the famous Disney family.

What's more, we'll be sharing the action as it unfolds in Dig Watch, right here on Patreon! Get ready for trench tours, interviews and Q&As with the team.

We cannot wait to get started, so look out for more details very soon.

Files

Norton Disney Dodecahedron: Time Team Preview (Patreon exclusive)

** JOIN TIME TEAM ON PATREON! ** Support Time Team by becoming a patron and get access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content here: https://www.patreon.com/timeteamofficial ** MERCHANDISE ** You can now purchase Time Team's Official merchandise here: https://shop.timeteamdigital.com/ Website: https://www.timeteamdigital.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timeteamofficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeteamofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetimeteam Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialtimeteam #ptn

Comments

Phoenix7078

I know experimental archaeologists have used them for knitting. I would LOVE to see them doing that, has anyone witnessed it?

Alan McMillan

Imagine if it was a child's toy?

Richard Mercer

I wonder what is the relationship between the size of the holes? could this be some sort of sizing gauge?

Paul Faulkner

A geometric puzzle through time. Perhaps there was something else that went with it - an organic component that hasn't survived, leaving just the metallic component?

Mea Cadwell

There are Youtube videos showing knitting with yarn and metalwork

Mandy K

There was a video on YouTube I saw a while back where someone named Amy Gaines proposed that they were used for making metal chains with a single continuous length of wire, and that the different sized holes were a way to narrow the gauge of the final chain. Not sure if that has been formally evaluated though.

Wessex-Wyvern

Have you seen the recent discussions on Guy de la Bedoyère's channel? Well worth checking out 😉

Barbara Shaw

Could it be for checking or standardising the sizes of turned wood items

Martha Berryman

Suggesting it is Pure Aesthetic Art Work, with no functional purpose beyond Beauty.

Maria Galloway

I have heard they were used for knitting socks, which tracks with them not being seen in warmer climates, like Spain and Greece. Maybe Italy had enough local knitters to not need a portable knitting aid.

Jessica Brisbane

I am not a metallurgist, but that sounds like a relatively soft alloy. There should be wear marks, possibly microscopic, from whatever it was used for

Cheryl Kurucz

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Warrick J Foote

Keep the great work going.. We all cheering you on

Christopher Samuel

This article was interesting looking at various theories (and has two parts with the second part giving their idea): https://tinkerings.org/2020/06/17/roman-dodecahedrons-part-i/comment-page-1/ Also links to examples that look very similar (though much smaller) from Asia mentioned (with photos) in this journal article "Gold in early Southeast Asia": https://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/2072 "The polyhedral gold bead from Khao Sam Kaeo, in eastern peninsular Thailand, is stylistically identical to those from Oc Eo in the Mekong Delta, and to numerous similar beads from Pyu sites in Burma."

Charr Skirvin

Is the dodecahedron necessarily Roman? The designs look Celtic to me. They remind me of game pieces that can be rolled across the ground (or some other surface) as in bocce ball.

Andy Quick

Maybe the dodecahedra are from a Roman math professor :). I suggest that you get a geometer to study it to see if there is a pattern to the arrangement of the holes.

Eggs Ackley

Could be a measuring tool for determining admission price to a brothel. 🫣🤭

Peter Horsam

Since it's using a base of 12, I'd be thinking 'time' somehow. Possibly with a sundial/gnomon arrangement. Knitting is a great idea, but there'd be a lot more of them.

Denise Tiller

I think it's a mystical/astrological/religious symbol. It's one of the five platonic solids--tetrahedron (4 sides-fire), icosahedron (20 sides, water) Octahedron (8 sides, air), cube (six sides, earth) and dodecahedron (12 sides, cosmos). Greeks--cosmos-12 astrological signs. Everything about it is mathmagic--12 pentagons, all the edges are equal, so are the surfaces and angles. In the Phantom Tollbooth, the dodecahedron introduces Milo to the Mathemagician and the mysteries of math. Written by Norton Juster. The author was an architect, it wasn't an accident. Maybe the Celts and druids adopted it from ancient Greeks and Romans embraced Greek culture.

Elizabeth Neill

Interesting hypotheses! Denise, your idea makes me think of the word puzzle early Christians liked to put on their houses to show they were in Christians, but only to other Christians because it was a code.

Andy Quick

Yes, the Romans were a mystical people. It's only in the post-Enlightenment world that maths have been pursued as a scientific discipline, apart from mysticism.

Penny K

Do the sizes of the holes align with the sizes of coins? As a D&D player, I want to believe it's part of a game. Put something inside it and roll it. See if you get the larger hole on the bottom and the object falls out. Even better if the object is a coin.

Kerry Hennigan

I love the idea of it being used to dispense dog treats!!! 👌

Kristie

This was my thought! Im sure my kids had loads of things like this to chew on or chuck around when they were babies…not made of lead alloy though 😆

Alan McMillan

Remember, lead was not known to be dangerous! And I doubt it was a toy. Sorry!

Linda Hendry

Don't know who you thought you were replying to Alan but I made no mention of lead and a candle holder is not a toy. It was a vital piece of equipment before gas and electricity. The holders like this stone example were extremely useful - and still are because any thickness of candle fits them.

Leah Kotok

The Phantom Tollbooth is my favorite, and always my first thought when I hear Dodecahedron.

Leah Kotok

Perhaps the dodecahedron is used to measure portions of spaghetti depending on how many people are coming to dinner. ;)

David Dearden

Does anybody have any idea on how they were made. It looks like it was cast but it would have to be a very complex mould.

Cheryl Kurucz

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Roger Mills

Guy did one of his YT Classical and Ancient Civilisation vids on one of these a couple of weeks ago.