Originally published at: What is the function of these mysterious ancient Roman dodecahedrons? | Boing Boing
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After WWII, when the Nazis escaped to the Moon, they found that the Romans had beaten them to it.
(All those Latin names on the map should have been a clue.)
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Here’s a comparatively recent ‘clue’ to add to the consideration: the Roman empire existed all around the Mediterranean, yet these dodecahedrons have only been discovered in the more temperate Euro-zones:
(slightly more support for the ‘glove theory’ …maybe?)
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They’re the ancient equivalent of spike strips. Just toss some on the appian way and you’ll stop any horse from crossing.
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Assuming you’re not joking:
You’re thinking of caltrops, which already existed and in a much more practical, cheaper form.
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Intoxication
Inculcation
Passification
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Harder to understand the zodiac’s relation with the horizon, the further away from the equator you are. The different size holes might relate to the astronomical navigation in some way.
The knitting video doesn’t really take advantage of the different size holes, which seem to be an important feature.
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I would have loved to see the explanations the guests on this game show would have come up with.
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The problem I have with the glove theory is that something that handy (rim shot) would have continued to be in use until the 20th century (e.g. spinning wheels and butter churns.) Regular folks didn’t just stop making gloves when the empire folded.
So I lean toward anything specific to the management of the Roman empire, whether it’s military or bureaucratic. Once the empire dissolved they were no longer needed.
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or the surveying tool idea. look how they all stop right on that line where the map changes color. doesn’t look like a coincidence to me 
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The feet would be pressed into a material to make 5 points? Or a pattern of 5 points, if rotated, and pressed.
For some reason the hole needs to be elevated? To cast a shadow like a gnomon?
I knit a pair of gloves every couple years (because they wear out, eh?), and I’ll continue using double-point needles, that “glove” in the video wouldn’t keep your fingers very warm in January if there’s even a light breeze.
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Yeah, the glove thing is specious; I can imagine three better widgets that would help knit gloves. Given the variety of these things, they seem more like either toys, or some way for metalsmiths to demonstrate their skills.
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The feet would measure the thickness of a coin? The different sized holes, the size of the coin, and it’s roundness?
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18 comments in and nobody’s guessed “party cock ring” yet?
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