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Fortean/Historical Anomaly Source Collection
Evidence Dossier

Legacy category: archaeology-manuscripts

Roman Dodecahedra: PAS, Excavation, and Museum Records

Evidence Dossier: A record proves that a statement, transfer, examination, or result was documented. It does not automatically prove the anomalous interpretation attached to it.
OverviewEvidenceTimelineAnalysisSources
0043-01-01, 0410-12-31
Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, England, Surrey, England, Musée du Louvre, Paris, Gallo-Roman Museum, Tongeren
9/10
7/10
Roman copper-alloy dodecahedra are genuine archaeological objects with multiple provenances, including a controlled excavation; the available records do not establish a single function.
high

Investigative Assessments

"The reported claim remains worth testing against the record: Roman copper-alloy dodecahedra are genuine archaeological objects with multiple provenances, including a controlled excavation; the available records do not establish a single function. The strongest documented reasons to keep the file open are: PAS LIN-BC9890 complete dodecahedron record: Establishes controlled excavation context and complete object identity; PAS SUR-729950 fragmentary dodecahedron record: Provides an independent PAS specimen and morphology. Key unresolved lead: What additional primary or securely provenanced material could distinguish the remaining hypotheses?"
"Evidentiary limitations: high Note that: PAS LIN-BC9890 complete dodecahedron record fails to support: Does not determine function; PAS SUR-729950 fragmentary dodecahedron record fails to support: Does not establish a use or exact manufacturing date. Documented contradiction: Strong object or documentary identity does not itself establish the disputed interpretation. Leading conventional hypothesis: The case concerns a genuine historical object or event whose disputed interpretation remains incomplete."

Case Summary

Official Portable Antiquities Scheme records document both a complete dodecahedron recovered in a controlled archaeological investigation and an additional fragmentary specimen. Louvre and Tongeren records establish independent museum specimens.

Evidence Locker

4 inspectable evidence items. Claims and source findings are kept separate.

official archaeological database record Local copy hash-verified Complete source

PAS LIN-BC9890 complete dodecahedron record

Analyst rating: Establishes controlled excavation context and complete object identity.

“This object was discovered during a controlled archaeological investigation by a local History and Archaeology Group”
Record locationSee local complete source and quote-verification record
Evidence classprimary-or-institutional-record
Relationship to claimEstablishes controlled excavation context and complete object identity.
Authenticity assessmentsource-identity-and-body-inspected
What this supportsEstablishes controlled excavation context and complete object identity.
What it does not supportDoes not determine function.
ProvenancePortable Antiquities Scheme / British Museum
Chain of custodyDirect HTTP retrieval preserved as application-owned copy; SHA-256 in manifest. Quote verified against pas-lin-bc9890-complete-record.html.
Source completenessComplete. complete database record
Known gaps: No known completeness gaps recorded.
Open Complete Source (Local HTML Media) Download Copy Canonical Agency Record
official archaeological database record Local copy hash-verified Complete source

PAS SUR-729950 fragmentary dodecahedron record

Analyst rating: Provides an independent PAS specimen and morphology.

“Two fragments of a cast copper alloy hollow dodecahedron of Roman date”
Record locationSee local complete source and quote-verification record
Evidence classprimary-or-institutional-record
Relationship to claimProvides an independent PAS specimen and morphology.
Authenticity assessmentsource-identity-and-body-inspected
What this supportsProvides an independent PAS specimen and morphology.
What it does not supportDoes not establish a use or exact manufacturing date.
ProvenancePortable Antiquities Scheme / British Museum
Chain of custodyDirect HTTP retrieval preserved as application-owned copy; SHA-256 in manifest. Quote verified against pas-sur-729950-complete-record.html.
Source completenessComplete. complete database record
Known gaps: No known completeness gaps recorded.
Open Complete Source (Local HTML Media) Download Copy Canonical Agency Record
open museum catalog metadata Local copy hash-verified Complete source

Louvre dodecahedron catalog record ED 4271

Analyst rating: Confirms an independently cataloged Gallo-Roman museum object.

“romain impérial ; style gallo-romain”
Record locationSee local complete source and quote-verification record
Evidence classprimary-or-institutional-record
Relationship to claimConfirms an independently cataloged Gallo-Roman museum object.
Authenticity assessmentsource-identity-and-body-inspected
What this supportsConfirms an independently cataloged Gallo-Roman museum object.
What it does not supportThe excluded Louvre photographs have separate copyright and are not release artifacts.
ProvenanceMusée du Louvre
Chain of custodyDirect HTTP retrieval preserved as application-owned copy; SHA-256 in manifest. Quote verified against louvre-br1602-record.json.
Source completenessComplete. complete museum catalog record
Known gaps: No known completeness gaps recorded.
Open Complete Source (Local JSON Document) Download Copy Canonical Agency Record
licensed museum-specimen photograph Local copy hash-verified Complete source

Tongeren Gallo-Roman Museum specimen 4002

Tongeren Gallo-Roman Museum specimen 4002

Analyst rating: Shows a catalog-identified museum specimen with date range and inventory number.

“150 tot 400 NC”
Record locationSee local complete source and quote-verification record
Evidence classprimary-or-institutional-record
Relationship to claimShows a catalog-identified museum specimen with date range and inventory number.
Authenticity assessmentsource-identity-and-body-inspected
What this supportsShows a catalog-identified museum specimen with date range and inventory number.
What it does not supportDoes not determine function.
ProvenanceGallo-Roman Museum Tongeren / Wikimedia Commons
Chain of custodyDirect HTTP retrieval preserved as application-owned copy; SHA-256 in manifest. Quote verified against tongeren-4002-commons-record.html.
Source completenessComplete. complete image
Known gaps: No known completeness gaps recorded.
Open Complete Source (Local JPG Media) Download Copy Canonical Agency Record

Documented Timeline

  • 0043-01-01: Earliest bounded dossier date.
  • 0410-12-31: Latest bounded dossier date.

Named Participants and Roles

  • Documentary and institutional record corpus, Primary publications, government records, and museum catalogs. Account basis: Documentary-Only. Witness quality: High. Every cited item is an application-owned copy with verified identity, hash, rights, and exact quoted text. Evidence: ev_pas_excavation, ev_pas_surrey, ev_louvre, ev_tongeren_photo

Contradictions and Record Conflicts

  • Strong object or documentary identity does not itself establish the disputed interpretation.

Conventional Explanations

  • The case concerns a genuine historical object or event whose disputed interpretation remains incomplete.
    Evidence for: Primary and institutional records establish identity and context.
    Limits: The same records do not resolve every proposed function, reading, or outcome.
    Evidence: ev_pas_excavation, ev_pas_surrey, ev_louvre, ev_tongeren_photo

Evidence Stance Matrix

HypothesisStanceRationaleEvidence IDs
The objects had a ritual, votive, or divinatory role.MixedThe preserved corpus constrains this hypothesis but does not uniquely prove it.ev_pas_excavation, ev_pas_surrey, ev_louvre, ev_tongeren_photo
The objects were practical measuring or craft tools.MixedThe preserved corpus constrains this hypothesis but does not uniquely prove it.ev_pas_excavation, ev_pas_surrey, ev_louvre, ev_tongeren_photo
The objects had locally variable functions not recoverable from present evidence.InconclusiveThe preserved corpus constrains this hypothesis but does not uniquely prove it.ev_pas_excavation, ev_pas_surrey, ev_louvre, ev_tongeren_photo

Missing Evidence

  • A new securely provenanced primary record or diagnostic analysis that discriminates among the remaining hypotheses.
    Without it, stronger causal or decipherment claims would exceed the evidence.

What Remains Unresolved

  • The central disputed interpretation remains unresolved.
    The included sources establish the underlying object or event but do not uniquely determine meaning, function, or final outcome.

Investigative Hypotheses

  • The objects had a ritual, votive, or divinatory role.
  • The objects were practical measuring or craft tools.
  • The objects had locally variable functions not recoverable from present evidence.

Open Questions

  • What additional primary or securely provenanced material could distinguish the remaining hypotheses?

Archival Landing Pages and Evidence Corpus

PAS LIN-BC9890 complete dodecahedron record

Official Archaeological Database Record Local Source Verified

External URL: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1144151

Open Local Artifact (HTML Document) · Download Copy

PAS SUR-729950 fragmentary dodecahedron record

Official Archaeological Database Record Local Source Verified

External URL: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/262705

Open Local Artifact (HTML Document) · Download Copy

Louvre dodecahedron catalog record ED 4271

Open Museum Catalog Metadata Local Source Verified

External URL: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010257522

Open Local Artifact (JSON Document) · Download Copy

Tongeren Gallo-Roman Museum specimen 4002

Licensed Museum-Specimen Photograph Local Source Verified

External URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pentagon-dodeca%C3%ABder_in_brons,_150_tot_400_NC,_vindplaats-_Tongeren,_Leopoldwal,_1939,_collectie_Gallo-Romeins_Museum_Tongeren,_4002.jpg

Open Local Artifact (JPG Document) · Download Copy