this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2025
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[–] Gladaed@feddit.org 7 points 6 days ago

That's a Prime Resonator from Path of Exile

[–] Ziglin@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Looks like a githyanki artifact used to protect from illithid.

BG3 spoilerThere's definitely nobody trapped in there, it's all completely fine with no ethical considerations whatsoever.

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 99 points 1 week ago (3 children)
[–] superkret@feddit.org 88 points 1 week ago (2 children)

So it's a sex toy, got it.

[–] niktemadur@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago

A fertility ceremonial, got it!

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[–] MothmanDelorian@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (12 children)

I always loved David Macauley take on this. He wrote a book as if people 2000 years ago found a motel and he presumed the “sanitized for your protection” banding and toilet seats would have been seen as ceremonial wear.

https://www.byanyothernerd.com/2020/04/stranger-days-39-mysteries-of-motel.html?m=1

[–] TheOctonaut@mander.xyz 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I can't remember if it's an official Asimov book or not, but one of the Foundation books set far beyond even the main series has an archaeological mission finding thousands of ceremonial hard white ceramic bowl-funnels and speculating on their significance to these incomprehensibly ancient peoples.

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[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 80 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Archeologists after looking at literally anything: Looks like a calendar. Or maybe a religious object. Or maybe a calendar of religions significance.

[–] Tyfud@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago

People back then loved their religious calendars. That's all they ever talked about. Whole books could be written about them.

But instead of books to write about them, they documented their love of religious calendar artifacts, with more calendar artifacts.

[–] affiliate@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

or something used in “fertility rituals”

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Translation: it's clearly a dildo, but if i put that into the study they won't publish it.

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[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 58 points 1 week ago (3 children)
[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I always wondered how they made those

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[–] ReplicantBatty@lemmy.one 57 points 1 week ago (1 children)

A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BEACON

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[–] shadowedcross@sh.itjust.works 39 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They've actually all been planted by time travelers just to fuck with people.

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[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 37 points 1 week ago (4 children)
[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 41 points 1 week ago (3 children)

People say this every time, and it’s still not true, because the Romans didn’t knit. Knitting is a technology and it hadn’t made it to Rome at the time these were made.

Also, some were solid and unsuitable for knitting. And they were found with giant piles of money, which is a weird place to keep your domestic tools.

[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 28 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh well if you put it that way I guess it’s knitting

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[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (16 children)

knitting what? the ones that have been recovered were way too big to make sense for that purpose

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Maybe oversized sweaters were a thing back then

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[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

Knitting is a medieval development that originated around Egypt in probably 1000-1100 CE (AD). There is no evidence of two needle knitting before then.

Romans used sprang, weaving and needlebinding techniques. They did not knit. Some needlebound artifacts can resemble knitting - particularly those in the Coptic stitch. They are still produced using the thumb and needle method of needlebinding and are structurally different.

The type of knitting that YouTube grandma did on the dodecahedron - spool knitting/French knitting - is an even later development - early modern period - 1400-1500s.

As a spool knitter, the dodecahedron makes very little sense. The spacing of the pegs - not the spacing of the holes - is what determines the size of the created tube. Every face of the dodecahedron would create the same size tube - which means you’ve just got extra random pointless shit digging into your hands. Google and compare to a modern spool knitter.

The idea of making a doohickey for fingered gloves, which you would then need to sew on anyway (every knitters least favorite thing to do) - it’s silly.

Here are some 4th/5th century socks - produced via needlebinding.

Here is the earliest known example of true knitting. 1000 at earliest.

You mentioned that not all socks would survive - that is true, but often textile patterns can be recovered through indentions in other material.

[–] eyes@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago

Always love seeing these come up and everyone confidently stating that it's been solved. Everything from a knitting tool (highly unlikely as the Romans didn't knit) to a dice. The truth is we just don't know and likely never will unless a new source .

Personally I'm convinced by the theory that they're probably a metalworkers portfolio piece used to demonstrate the creators skill, either to potential customers or as a test to join a guild.

[–] Samsy@lemmy.ml 30 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Haha, they don't know how to use the three dodecahedron's.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 26 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I just assume it's a random doodad. Like a desk decoration or something. Why wouldn't ancient people have had dumb bullshit that served no purpose other than it's aesthetic value just like we do now?

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[–] peto@lemm.ee 25 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Are we entirely sure it's not just an ornament? I've got all kinds of things that aren't even ritual objects.

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 23 points 1 week ago (5 children)

No, no you don't. Everything that isn't fully functional and necessary for life is a ritual object! And also some of the the other things to! It's all ritual! It's ritual all the way down, baby!

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[–] BalderSion@real.lemmy.fan 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That is not an uncommon guess, but the argument against it is that these took some sophistication to make. This isn't some disposable gewgaw. These were made with relatively tight tolerances and exhibited the best metalworking fabrication of the age. One theory I've seen seriously floated was that they were made as a demonstration of metal working competency, the equivalent of a benchy in 3D printing.

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[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] MeatPilot@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Obviously it's a key that needs to be inserted into an ancient titan robot to power it back up.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

What an utterly ridiculous notion. Obviously it's a magical battery that, once charged, can be inserted into an ancient titan robot to power it back up.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

All we know for certain is that at some point that thing was on some bored Romans knob.

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[–] Slovene@feddit.nl 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

What if it's a die for an ancient version of D&D? Labyrinths & Minotaurs. Or that thing you put treats in and then your dog rolls it around and gets a biccy every so often.

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[–] Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It's probably some kids workshop assignment that he brought home to his parents.

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[–] KittyCat@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

https://youtu.be/lADTLozKm0I

Seems pretty convincing and matches gold bracelets made in the era.

[–] threethan@reddthat.com 2 points 6 days ago

This is, by far, the most compelling theory I've seen.

Given that those things were so common, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other uses people have theorized could have happened too.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 14 points 1 week ago

Spaghetti portion measurer.

[–] rustyfish@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (5 children)

This is SCP-184.

But you probably don’t have access to that file.

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