Wow, Strange Grid Ball* and Roman Dodecahedron re-appearing simultaneously! Hmm…
“Strange Grid Ball” is copyright one mod or another. He/she deserves credit.
This just in… Man used 3D printer to replicate a Roman Dodecahedron and notices that the pattern of hole size change on each side (Small-Medium-Large-Medium-Small) matches the size change of fingers, with slightly larger holes on one side than the opposite. He experiments around and, whether or not this is what the Romans used them for, learns that he can use his to make… gloves.
That article reminded me of this thread and my goal to print one of these out, and I now have a half finished 3D printed Roman Dodecahedron on the desk in front of me. I’ll finish printing the rest of it tomorrow and then mail it to a friend who likes to knit so she can try to knit gloves with it.
I saw that (he emailed me actually) - it’s an interesting theory - and I do think the idea has merit, but it looked horribly awkward to actually use.
Despite being an impressive bit of experimental archaeology - and my hat is off to the guy, I don’t think that can be the solution, as it simply would not be possible for some designs of dodecahedron
Not quite tomorrow, but my plans are posted on Thingiverse now.
I tend to agree, I was watching it and thinking to myself that it looks amazingly wrong - though I suppose part o it could be lack of practice, but there are faster and better ways to make knotwork gloves. Though I do admit I have never run across any reference to Romans ‘knitting’ [crochet, sprang] anything more complex than socks.
Update: You can buy a 3D printed plastic replica of a roman dodecahedron (I am not affiliated with seller in any way).
Or wooded inserts.
Reviving this, instead of Roman dodecahedron - what do you think it was for? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board, because this is more fun and creative.
Just stumbled up “caltrop” in Wiki (Caltrop - Wikipedia); third photo down, "exploding gunpowder caltrops from the [Chinese] Yuan dynasty [13th-14th v.] see the rightmost.
Detail image: File:Exploding pottery caltrops.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
FTR.
(My apologies if this has been noted upthread; tl;dr-again.)
I am really puzzled. A dodecahedron is a Platonic solid.with twelve faces (at any rate that’s a regular one).
Fairly easy to make with this template: Dodecahedron: EnchantedLearning.com
What you guys are discussing is surely a Roman dodecahedra
I don’t understand the distinction you are making; isn’t dodecahedra the plural of dodecahedron?
Keeping in mind Mangetout’s experience that these things are really tough to make, I think we don’t just have to find a practical use for the things; we have to find a practical use that couldn’t be accomplished more easily with some other design. Like, the knitting form could be done with a single flat piece of bronze with five holes in a row, and a caltrop can be made with a cross-shaped piece of sheet with the points bent up and down. Either one would be much simpler than the design we have, so why did they use that design instead of a simpler one? The masterwork explanation might be unfalsifiable, but it does at least explain why they’d be so hard to make.