Rules say reconstructions are allowed but doesn't specify if illustration counts.
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Those are objects from the Roman Empire. About 130 have been found in total.
They are typically made of brass and fit in the hand but can vary from 35 grams to a kilo. Each side has holes of different sizes with rings around them. On each corner you will find a sphere protruding.
But there are three things you won't find.
- you won't find them in or near the capital. They are found all over the European part of the empire including Britain, but never once in the Near East or African portions of the empire and also never in what we call Italy today.
- you won't find why they exist. There is no known use for them that survives scrutiny. But you will find lots of speculation.
- you won't find any markings. No labeles, no symbols, no gauges, or numbers. Just holes with rings.
Are they part of a mystery colt, some rather expensive game piece, blacksmith training? No one knows.
Find a 3D print file and make one yourself and ponder it for a while. Or draw one. I haven't found any woodworking plans. Maybe I could fix that.
Micron, A5.
The hypothesis they're military cripto stuff explains neatly both things: they'd be useless in traditional Roman areas (there was military in those, just not fighting "outsiders"), and the military probably didn't want too many people to know how to use them*.
If they were a Celtic development I'd expect them to be way more local. For example, most of them were found in France, right? If they were Gaulish you'd find some in Belgium and England, but you wouldn't be finding them in Austria or Croatia.
*note: if that's correct, it wouldn't be the first case of us losing info about the Romans because they silenced it themselves. Or the worst. The worst are the 28 books written by emperor Claudius, on the Etruscans and the Carthaginians.
I agree with some of that, and in terms of other stuff... I don't have the slightest idea. I'm curious about your 'cipher theory,' in any case. I'm looking forward to seeing how the research and theory goes...
Thank you, my fellow ape, for sparing me your time upon these matters!
The theory isn't even "mine", to be honest. And although it's the one I find the most likely to be true, I low-key want it to be false (and the true explanation to make me go "...duh, this is so obvious, why didn't I think about this???").
And you're welcome — it's nice to chat with you!