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Principal caracteristics are their 12 sides, with holes of various diameters and that kind of "legs" formed by little sferes, that keep the surfaces where are inscribed the holes apart from the ground.
The fact, as Martin points, that have holes with some diameters could points is for take some kind of mesures. In what way? It's hard to say... :oops:
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I'll bet it's for force multipliers, and casualty counters, for miniature warfare gaming, probably like for the 28mm Neolithic, or Bronze Age invasion series.
[size=59:218vhtz4](don't kill me)[/size]
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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Could they have been hung in a woven bag? Chum bucket comes to mind.
If these are cast in one piece, that's quite a feat in itself. Maybe it was a piece made by an apprentice bronze worker to prove he had the skill to make the most complicated object without flaws. It's a common practice with would-be professional potters and woodworkers.
Lugorix
aka: Jeffrey Adam Scharp
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Well the modern game Dungeons and Dragons makes use of a 12-sided dice.
As I posted before "Ancient Greeks related number 12 with Zeus... "
So I do not belive it is asosiated with Mithras but with Serapis, Savazios or Dolechinos Zeus.
Just my 2 pennies worth.
Kind regards
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Last night I was hunting through the Antiquaries Journals when I stumbled across an article published in 1994 that talks about these specifically. It said only one of all that have been found had any wax, so a candle holder is unlikely. The author, C. Hill, summarized all the theories that have been proposed in the past. The article ended with this:
Quote:"(The answer) is more likely to be found in the domain of cosmological models, astrology, and mystical numerology rather than in any utilitarian function."
Check it out in volume 74 if you get the chance.
Lugorix
aka: Jeffrey Adam Scharp
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What about an incendiary projectile for an onager? perhaps a bit too pretty for that though!
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
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Byron Angel
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These are real brain puzzlers.
Does anybody know the size of these dodecahedrons?
Are they all about the same size?
Are the holes the about the same size from one find to another?
>|P. Dominus Antonius|<
Leg XX VV
Tony Dah m
Oderint dum metuant - Cicero
Si vis pacem, para bellum - Vegetius
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I found this link to a rather detailed discussion of these dodecahedrons. Apparently they were different sizes and some had holes all the same size. Curiouser and curiouser.
http://www.widdershins.org/vol3iss7/i9805.htm
>|P. Dominus Antonius|<
Leg XX VV
Tony Dah m
Oderint dum metuant - Cicero
Si vis pacem, para bellum - Vegetius