QUICK FACTS
Name: Roman dodecahedron
What it is: A 12-sided bronze object
Where it is from: Northwestern provinces of the Roman Empire
When it was made: Second to fourth centuries A.D.
Roman dodecahedrons have baffled archaeologists since 1739, when the first example of the 12-sided bronze object was discovered in the English Midlands. For nearly three centuries, experts and hobbyists have put forth dozens of theories as to why people treasured these items — but their purpose has never been confirmed.
