This Roman object has had experts baffled!
The Norton Disney Dodecahedron was found during an amateur archaeological dig in the small Lincolnshire village at the end of the summer in 2023 and is one of only 33 dodecahedrons found in Britain and the first to have been discovered in the Midlands.
It is also one of the largest out of the 33 found, measuring about 3 inches (8cm) tall and weighing 8oz, equivalent to 245g.
Experts are unsure what it was actually used for
Thought to have been buried about 1,700 years ago, this mysterious object has had experts scratching their heads, as they “are no closer to finding out exactly what it is and what is might have been used for”.
Richard Parker, secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, said it was a “privilege to have handled” the Roman object dug up in Lincolnshire.
The Roman dodecahedrons date back as far as the 1st Century, and some experts believe they were possibly linked to Roman rituals, magic or religion. However, there are no references to them in any Roman texts.
Volunteers that took part in the amateur archaeological dig plan to return to the area where the Norton Disney Dodecahedron was found in the hope of unearthing more clues about the object.
Where to see the The Norton Disney Dodecahedron
This 12-sided artefact will be on display at Lincoln Museum in Lincoln from Saturday 4th May 2024, as part of the city’s Festival of History.
Alongside the dodecahedron display, you can learn more about Lincoln’s Roman past and explore other finds unearthed across the city and county.
Andrea Martin, exhibitions and interpretations manager, commented that having the dodecahedron on show was ‘a real coup’ for local history fans and visitors to the city.
