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History => Ancient and Medieval History => Topic started by: Imperial Dave on December 16, 2020, 04:20:42 PM

Title: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 16, 2020, 04:20:42 PM
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/16/french-detectorist-accused-of-looting-on-vast-scale-after-haul-discovered-at-home

ouch.....
Title: Re: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: Duncan Head on December 16, 2020, 04:26:42 PM
Quotea hollow copper Roman dodecahedron of which there are only a hundred known copies. Their use remains an archaeological enigma

Roman 12-sided dice?
Title: Re: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 16, 2020, 04:38:44 PM
Quote from: Duncan Head on December 16, 2020, 04:26:42 PM
Quotea hollow copper Roman dodecahedron of which there are only a hundred known copies. Their use remains an archaeological enigma

Roman 12-sided dice?

tempting to think so....
Title: Re: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: DBS on December 16, 2020, 05:18:29 PM
If so few have been found, obviously 1st Edition Carceres et Dracones was not an unqualified commercial success.
Title: Re: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: Erpingham on December 16, 2020, 05:33:26 PM
We would need to look at distribution.  If they are found in military contexts it may explain the melee advantages of the Roman legions.

Title: Re: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: DBS on December 16, 2020, 06:07:18 PM
Indeed, maybe the poor Gauls were limited to 1d4.  Typical shameless failure by Caesar not to mention it.  "Iacta alea est" - but how many sides did it have?
Title: Re: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 16, 2020, 07:23:05 PM
Quote from: DBS on December 16, 2020, 05:18:29 PM
If so few have been found, obviously 1st Edition Carceres et Dracones was not an unqualified commercial success.

;D
Title: Re: French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home
Post by: Swampster on December 26, 2020, 10:09:34 AM
Quote from: DBS on December 16, 2020, 05:18:29 PM
If so few have been found, obviously 1st Edition Carceres et Dracones was not an unqualified commercial success.
Ah - their rarity _proves_ that they were used for C&D. You only need to use them for longsword damage against large targets - and any self respecting Roman citizen would be using a short sword - and for Barbarian hit dice (which only became popular from about 370 onwards).