Roman dodecahedron

Boris Mohar fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

It's not out of the realm of possibility that it was strictly decorative.

The Romans were well-versed in geometry, and may have simply delighted in the fact that 12 pentagons could be assembled into a roughly spherical shape.

LLoyd

Perhaps there were 12 sizes of roman coins and the holes were for sizing the coins.

Dave

Much of Hero of Alexandria's book shows elaborate toys meant to extract money from the rich, an ancient Sharper Image catalog.

One is a trick cup that turns water into wine.

jsw

I would suggest: the Roman equivalent of a "Turner's Cube" :-)

In slightly more modern times, plumbing apprentices once demonstrated making a 6-way junction by (mostly) hammer, starting from sheet lead. I've seen the result and they are very impressive. One even went as far as to put flanges with bolt holes on.

First thing to cross my mind is a studded cage for making a ball with rope or leather/hide. Except the stone ones...? Tent pole intersections?

SW

Doorstop and floor ballast.

Probably the metal ones were lost-wax cast. Would be fun trying to figure out a way to sand cast it.

Stan

Perhaps it was a calendar, like modern ones, and the leather or wood month / day panels that snap into the holes have rotted. The ball- ended feet would protect the one on the bottom. I couldn't tell if the faces have "Hodie" index pointers.

The holes are different sizes to guide illiterate barbarian assembler slaves who can't tell the month of Julius from that of Augustus.

jsw

Doorstop and floor ballast.

Probably the metal ones were lost-wax cast. Would be fun trying to figure out a way to sand cast it. =========================================

I wonder what the current value is for one of those objects... million$?

It's a Roman Magic 8-ball. ;-)

All the holes being different sizes suggests some significance there, albeit I can't imagine what.

Cheers! Rich

A penis measuring device?

It's the cosmic viewer from Sarah Palin's porch. She did a trade with Christine O'Donell for her cauldron.

Looks like one of the original pecker checkers. (darn, I can't find a pic of the joke box I have)

And don't forget to wear your flying pasties before going to the airport, girls.

-- Experience is a good teacher, but she send in terrific bills. -- Minna Thomas Antrim

Sarah is more man than you'll ever be, and more woman than you'll ever hold.

Maybe...

But to me she represents everything that's wrong with politicians these days.

Pass...

Jesus, she's both? Where did she get THAT operation? Cambodia?

The liberal media are hyping her up in hopes that she gets the Repubnocrat nomination, ensuring an Obama win.

I'm voting Ron Paul, thank you very much.

Cheers! Rich

If you can, get a lot of your friends to join you. It will be good for the country.

Rich Grise used to sign some of his posts as "Rich Grise, But Drunk." He doesn't bother with the "But Drunk" part anymore but I think he is anyway. ERS

Ed, I'm going to tell your Momma on you!