French detectorist acused of looting on vast scale after haul discovered at home

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/16/french-detectorist-accused-of-looting-on-vast-scale-after-haul-discovered-at-home

ouch.....

[Duncan Head]

a hollow copper Roman dodecahedron of which there are only a hundred known copies. Their use remains an archaeological enigma

Roman 12-sided dice?

[Imperial Dave]

a 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....

[DBS]

If so few have been found, obviously 1st Edition Carceres et Dracones was not an unqualified commercial success.

[Erpingham]

We would need to look at distribution.  If they are found in military contexts it may explain the melee advantages of the Roman legions.

[DBS]

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?

[Imperial Dave]

If so few have been found, obviously 1st Edition Carceres et Dracones was not an unqualified commercial success.

[Swampster]

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).