Making A Bronze Roman Dodecahedron

There may be a mystery of the roman dodecahedron but it doesn't stop me from adding to the confusion. I used a 3d printer to print the model in PLA and then used the lost wax casting process to cast it in bronze. I'm new to lost PLA casting but I think Im getting the hang of it.

[cindylundgren]

I love this video and all the work you put into your bronze! Then ... a surprise and shocking ending!

[NotMyActualName_]

Saw an interesting take on this recently where these could be used for making braided gold chains that match historical museum pieces from the era.

[UpNorthOfTheth]

It reminds me of the ball for different size yarn or cloth or rope we used as a child to make rugs of all types. Different size holes made for using different types of materials to make a long rope for rugs. The little buttons are perfect for what we used to use such as nails to help loop the yarn or such into making the weave for the rope of the rugs.

[william]

Hilarious ending Lucas!! I love your humor, and the informative journey along the way.
I look forward to my fist casting...

My guess for the original use of the "holed variety" was to give value to other nations coins.
Ancient coins were quite small just like the holes in the dodecahedron which might have been useful for travelling traders, but the silver/gold value would never-the-less translate across nations borders.

[Chris.Davies]

Nope, we now know exactly and precisely what these things are. They are jigs used to create gold wire chain of different thickness, which is decided by which hole you use to pull the almost-finished wire chain tight through.
Have a search on YT for the lovely lady who demonstrates exactly how they were used, and what kind of chain they produced.
MYSTERY SOLVED 100%.

[palokros]

Not a mystery - going along the edges, we have to traverse the vertices of the dodecahedron so that we pass through each vertex only once returning to the vertex we departed. All peaks must be touched. The traversal of the vertices in the Roman logic game can be guided using a piece of thread, fixing it to the small spheres at the vertices of the dodecahedron to mark the path. (kind of Ancient Rubik's Cube, a logical game of the Romans). Hamilton-path, Graph Theory, Discrete Mathematics. Naturally, the design cast in bronze was a luxury item, common version was carved in wood and a nail driven into each vertex guiding the thread.

[mumbo]

Nice! Love the nubs and that you left it confuse the future!

[Davidbirdman]

Man that was a great video. I wish I could go back in time and try my hand at what you're doing. Looks fascinating.

[Plinkster]

Lol, that was great. I was thinking you should bury it for someone to find later… and you did. That was awesome lol. Great video.

[qarljohnson]

The best hypothesis I've heard about what the Roman dodecadrons are, is they are for creating coded communications. The holes indicate what specific coding wheel would fit (12 wheels).
Each coding wheel would have 25 characters in a circle, with 5 characters between each knob. After each word is decoded, the dial would be turned five characters over.
Just have to find the dials.
As the rest of the Roman military used nautical communication around the Mediterranean, the northern Europe forces used horse riders who were more vulnerable to interception than naval vessels.

[isleofyew]

A conversation piece, proof of casting skill and artistry. A luxury item without practical use?

[ginojaco]

Good ending, I too have left 'things' that I hope future archaeologists will find, some with very subtle clues of their true nature others without. 🙂

[RogerMondo]

Regarding the Roman Dodecahedron, the proposed purpose that I like most is “Candle Holder”.
-The holes fit various sizes of candles, since there was no standardized manufacturing
-Heavy and stable - very important with a burning candle
-Will not catch fire when candle burns down
-Rings on each face catch dripping wax (which was found on some of them)
-The ball feet keep it stable on irregular surfaces
-The Dodecahedron are found in the northern parts of the Roman Empire where winter nights are longer and candles were more necessary and valuable.

[RosssRoyce]

Beautiful! I have a feeling that the purpose of the knobs is to lift the piece from a flat surface when sitting on one of its flat sides.

[daneast]

This needs more views! Searching for Roman Dodecahedron and this was the first video Google showed.

[benjaminzedrine]

Stationary. Desk object. Used to easily tighten parchment scrolls then tie off for use by carrier pigeons. Send me one, and I'll show you how and explain why.

[hj-clone]

I could hardly believe seeing this! I currently have one shelled up in investment, identical but slightly larger.Used sheet wax instead of 3DP. Waiting to cast a few things the same day. the sprue and vents were very tricky, I'm also hesitaing since it may not work. I guess I thought I was the only one trying to make what you have succeeded in nicely. Obviously NOT for making gloves, as they pre-date knitting by 100's of years, and the nubs are all the same each side. You keep impressing me, Sir!

[PublicRecordsGeek]

It's for knitting gloves. The sizes of the holes and their positions and experimenting have proven out the technique.

[peaoat]

Probably for a game of sorts (like dice?). They could have been inserting spheres that would go only through certain holes. If someone spins the "dice" and manages to get the ball out through the hole, wins (loses?). Speculations are fun. I'm surprised that one hasn't come up.

[PaulsGarage]

As a former archaeologist, I appreciate the final resting place. I once thought I wanted to be buried with a collection of stone tools and an ipod, just to confuse a future archaeology student.