A mysterious Roman object that has baffled archaeologists since its discovery is back at the National Civil War Centre, Newark.

The 12-sided copper-alloy creation was discovered during a community-led excavation in 2023. Dubbed the “Norton Disney Dodecahedron,” archaeologists continue to debate what the object was used for and its significance in Roman culture, with theories ranging from a spaghetti measurer, a puzzle game, and a ritual object used in religious ceremonies. 



More information can be found below from Richard Parker – Norton Disney Historical and Archaeological Group:

The Norton Disney dodecahedron was found during an archaeological excavation in June 2023. The local amateur archaeology group (Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group) were excavating for the first time on a likely Roman site a few hundred metres from the Norton Disney Roman villa. Towards the end of the "dig" they opened a new trench across what appeared to be a large pit. In doing so, they unearthed Roman masonry, bone and pottery. Most thrilling of all, about 1 metre below the surface, the dodecahedron was found. As most known dodecahedra don't have a known archaeological context, this was very exciting. The find was also extremely unusual in that this dodecahedron was complete and in an excellent condition.

After the excavation, the dodecahedron was examined by Britain's foremost authority on dodecahedra, Lorena Hitchens from Newcastle University.  This find was dated provisionally to the late 3rd to early 4th centuries.

In 2024, the archaeology group then returned to the site to further excavate the pit where the dodecahedron was found. More Roman masonry, local pottery and bone were found. The pottery showed backfilling of this pit occurred in the late 3rd to 4th centuries and a coin was found which dated from the mid-3rd century. It was also confirmed that the pit was a quarry pit, originally dug to excavate sand, had later been backfilled with debris.

The group has subsequently returned to the site in 2025 and 2026 to carry out further excavations. It seems this area, where the dodecahedron was found, is criss crossed with pits and ditches. Roman pottery, masonry bone and small metal finds indicate this land was an industrial area. The quarrying of sand, the smelting of iron and the production of pottery, although well away from the Roman villa, was clearly part of the Roman villa estate, which had good connections with the nearby Roman Fosse Way as well as the local Roman settlement of ‘Crocolana’ at Brough. 

Whilst the group has not solved the mystery of what the dodecahedron was used for, it has in part clarified the archaeological context of the area of where it was found.

This dodecahedron is one of only 33 found in Roman Britain and is perhaps one of the finest examples found to date. There are around 130 dodecahedra known and all are found in the former north-western provinces of the Roman Empire, mostly centred in Gaul. Hence their official title of "Gallo Roman dodecahedra" 

The story of this dodecahedron can still be seen on BBC I-Player, "Digging for Britain", series 11 episode 4.