Ancient magical artefact discovered in Belgium, the meaning of which scientists cannot unravel

A fragment of a mysterious bronze artefact known as a Roman dodecahedron has been found in Belgium. According to preliminary estimates, it is over 1600 years old.

The artefact was found by an amateur archaeologist in the middle of a field in northern Flanders. More details about the discovery were reported by Live science.

"There have been several hypotheses about what it is: a calendar, a tool for measuring land, a scepter, etc., but none of them can give an accurate explanation," said Guido Krimers, curator of the Gallo-Roman Museum in Belgium.

The artefact is an object with a single corner pin. Some scientists believe that it is part of a dodecahedron, the purpose of which is still a mystery.

What is a dodecahedron?

It is known that the dodecahedron was first discovered in England. It happened in the 18th century. And as of 2023, archaeologists have excavated about 120 dodecahedrons across Europe, mainly in the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

It is impossible to determine the exact age of the metal. Scientists' opinions vary widely. Some of them were produced between the 1st and 5th centuries AD.

The mystery of the dodecahedrons' purpose is still unsolved. Archaeologists cannot explain what function they performed in ancient times, because no one has ever found any written references to dodecahedrons.

Over 200 years, a lot of hypotheses have accumulated. Initially, dodecahedrons were described as "mace heads" and considered part of a weapon. Other archaeologists were convinced that dodecahedrons were tools for determining the right time to sow grain. Some scientists claim that dodecahedrons determined the distance or measured the range of Roman artillery.

Recently, it has even been suggested that dodecahedrons were patterns for knitting Roman gloves.

It is quite possible that they were secretly used for magical purposes. For example, in rituals to predict the future. Divination was very popular in the Roman Empire. But since Christianity became the main religion of the Romans, fortune-telling has been banned. Most scholars are inclined to this version.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL reported that in the UK, an amateur archaeologist discovered a writing system that could have been used during the Ice Age.

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