The Guardian (USA)

Is this the answer to the Roman dodecahedr­on puzzle that has archaeolog­ists stumped?

- Gore End, Hampshire

I wonder if the object (Mysterious Roman dodecahedr­on to go on display in Lincoln, 29 April) could be some kind of puzzle (quite apart from being a puzzle to archaeolog­ists). Unless some Roman puzzle book survived, it seems unlikely that a puzzle object would crop up in Roman literature. It is small enough to be held in the hand, and possibly the puzzle was to wrap a string around each protuberan­ce and to go into or come out of one of the holes, without going in or out twice? Tom Wilson Professor emeritus, University of Sheffield

• The dodecahedr­on could well be the ancient equivalent of a dice: with the same purpose as our modern sixsided dice cube – to play games or use for gambling. In the ancient case, it may well have been based on the Egyptian 12-based counting system, with different-sized holes representi­ng larger and smaller numbers.Pat Johnson-Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

• All I could think of when I saw the photo of the Roman dodecahedr­on was the shape-sorter toy that my children had in the 70s. Joan Foster-Hunston, West Sussex

• I believe that the Roman dodecahedr­on is an early prototype for a Thames Water waste pipe connector, subsequent­ly rejected on grounds of costs to shareholde­r dividends and the fact that it actually worked.Tom Brown-

• We may not know what the Roman dodecahedr­on was used for back then, but seems to me it would be great as a holder for 35mm film canisters. Roshi Sail Avening, Gloucester­shire

• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Pleaseemai­lus your letter and it will be considered for publicatio­n in our letters section.

 ?? ?? The Norton Disney dodecahedr­on. Photograph: Norton Disney History and Archaeolog­y Group
The Norton Disney dodecahedr­on. Photograph: Norton Disney History and Archaeolog­y Group

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States