Since our June 2023 summer excavation the group has been sitting on a bit of secret. 

We found a fantastic example of a “Gallo Roman Dodecahedron”.  One of archaeology’s great enigmas.

There are about 32 known examples, either whole or in parts in Roman Britain. The Norton Disney example now makes 33. There are roughly 130 known examples across the Roman world. All of which are found in north west Roman provinces. The Norton Disney dodecahedron is the only example found in the Midlands and is a particularly fine example. It is well cast, complete with no damage and in an excellent condition. It is an example of very fine craftsmanship, finished to a high standard.

It is a copper alloy object. 75% copper, 7% tin and 18 % lead. 

It is also an important find in that it was found “in situ”, where it was deliberately placed some 1700 years before with 4th century Roman pottery in some sort of excavated hole or quarry pit. The context of which will need more archaeological excavation to clarify in 2024.

There are no known descriptions of dodecahedra in Roman literature and therefore their purpose remains extremely unclear. They are not of a standard size, so will not be measuring devices. They don’t show signs of wear, so they are not a tool. Nor are they devices for knitting. A huge amount of time, energy and skill was taken to create our dodecahedron, so it was not used for mundane purposes, especially when alternative materials are available that would achieve the same purpose. The most likely use we think is for ritual and religious purposes.

The dodecahedron find also has it’s own entry on the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme website. Details here. 

It is known that near the site a mounted horseman deity was found by metal detectorists in 1989. This example is now in the British Museum.

Roman society was full of superstition, something experienced on a daily basis. A potential link with local religious practice is our current working theory. More investigation is required though.

The trench where the dodecahedron was found was only partly excavated in 2023 due to time and financial constraints. The group has secured permission to return in 2024 and resume excavation to see if it’s possible to find more information to clarify the circumstances of the deposition of this particular dodecahedron.

If you would like to make a donation to the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group contact the group via this link. We will send you our bank details to make a bank transfer. Or go to our donations page here to use a debit/credit acrd