Comments on: Okay, I confess I’m stumped

By: Surellin

Surellin — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 17:32:40 +0000

They look like little potpourri holders – that stuff that smells up the room, esp. at Xmas time. And 4-11cm is a portable size. Maybe they’re like the things used in the Renaissance to de-stink one’s nose in a smelly environment. But probably not.

By: Christian

Christian — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 04:07:30 +0000

But if they were originally painted they may have worked as dice.

By: Christian

Christian — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 04:05:57 +0000

At first I thought it was the pellet from the umbrella which was used to kill Georgi Markov. I may be dating myself.

By: Charles

Charles — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 00:59:31 +0000

Well at least the news article didn’t claim since no one knows they must have been left behind by space aliens a la “Chariots of the Gods.”

As for my guess, I’ll say that they were what the Roman Kestone cops used to stop out of control chariots driven by crazy people. Just throw a handfull under the horses hooves and they will come to a crashing halt.

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 23:35:19 +0000

Antimatter bomb from ancient technology.

By: Roy

Roy — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 21:31:11 +0000

Jingle bells?

By: Ann

Ann — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 19:36:56 +0000

A spool-knitter?

By: G Joubert

G Joubert — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 19:00:27 +0000

Mass production. How?

By: rickl

rickl — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 18:07:31 +0000

I went to my Magic 8-Ball link above, and asked, “Do the dodecahedrons have anything to do with ancient hairstyles?”

The answer was, “It is certain.”

Well there you go. Case closed. You can thank me later.

By: rickl

rickl — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 17:53:18 +0000

Several months ago I read a fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal about a hairdresser who researches and recreates ancient Greek and Roman hairstyles. She even had an article published in a scholarly journal. On Pins and Needles: Stylist Turns Ancient Hairdo Debate on Its Head Janet Stephens has a number of videos on YouTube. Here's one: Vestal Hairdressing: recreating the "Seni Crines" Now I can't help wondering whether these dodecahedrons might have had something to do with hairdressing. That would be a mundane, everyday task which wouldn't merit mention in historical records. If they were mostly found in womens' graves, that would be interesting. Probably not, though. She doesn't seem to need them. Although I wonder whether the knobs might have somehow been a labor-saving device in creating the braids.