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A comment on Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed in England. Parent comment

Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by SamBam on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @12:46PM (#39106805)
I don't really buy that theory. There's no explanation for why it needs to be this very-hard-to-cast bronze dodecahedron, instead of just a wooden board with pegs and holes, which is all that would be needed for the video above.
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by jzebedee on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @12:54PM (#39106911)
It's possible that most were made out of common materials. Only those made of something sufficiently resilient survived for us to find.
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by prox on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @04:06PM (#39109842)
Basically a show off piece for those with enough coin!
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by atoav on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @01:37PM (#39107597)
Why not? If it was a common item, it would be natural that there a deluxe versions for e.g. the royal household.

The cheap and simple versions would have rotted away by now.

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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by stevenwoo on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @03:31PM (#39109331)
The article mentions that none of them exhibit wear marks that are characteristic of tools.
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by lazide on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @04:37PM (#39110246)
Do you think show pieces in rich households would be used?

I’d argue if they did, someone was getting fired immediately.

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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by ffgjgf1 on Wednesday January 24, 2024 @03:10AM (#39114874)
Have we found any other shows pieces for other household items? Because if not, it’s very unlikely that’s the case
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by lazide on Wednesday January 24, 2024 @09:33AM (#39117743)
Yes, all the time. Like silverware, ornamental swords/weapons like axes, jewelry.
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by nkrisc on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @04:57PM (#39110520)
I’ve seen many vases and other such vessels in the homes of rich people that are not used to store liquids, but instead sit there empty on a console table in the hallway!
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by nemo on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @05:17PM (#39110736)
In that case this isn't a tool, it's a decoration. And if none of them are worn, then the decoration isn't imitating a knitting tool, since some would show wear if that were its actual use.
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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by SamBam on Tuesday January 23, 2024 @07:54PM (#39112220)
Would the royal household also have decorative brass stone masons' chisels, carpenters' planes, doctors' scalpels, and farmers' sickles?

I don't really buy that theory. Do we have any other examples of fancy decorative versions of working class tools?

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Re:Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed ... by almostarockstar on Wednesday January 24, 2024 @06:52AM (#39116225)
Anecdotally, I have seen decorative plates hanging on walls, spinning wheels, ships wheels, oil lamps, etc all used decoratively in contemporary settings.
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