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Ruth Garrido Vila

ITEM: Dice
MATERIAL: Bone
CULTURE: Roman
PERIOD: 1st - 3rd Century A.D
DIMENSIONS: 9 mm x 8 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex German private collection, acquired before 1990s

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export license

If you bid outside the european union and win the item, we will have to apply for an export licence for your country and shipping will take 3 to 5 weeks.

Roman dice made from bone offer intriguing insights into the recreational activities and gaming culture of ancient Rome. Dice games were immensely popular among people of all social classes and were played for entertainment, gambling, and even religious rituals. 

Bone Roman dice typically featured six sides, each marked with dots or pips representing numbers ranging from one to six. The numbering system on Roman dice was often arranged in such a way that opposite sides of the dice added up to seven, a design feature known as "opposite faces add up to seven" or "sevens-out." This design ensured fairness and randomness in the outcome of dice rolls, crucial for maintaining the integrity of the game.

Roman dice were not only used for recreational purposes but also held cultural and symbolic significance. Dice games were often associated with concepts of luck, fate, and fortune, and were sometimes employed in divination practices to predict the outcome of future events. The imagery and symbolism associated with dice were also reflected in Roman art and literature, where dice games were depicted as common pastimes enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

Archaeology

Ancient Roman Bone Dice  (Sin Precio de Reserva)

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1st Chinese domination (111 BC–40 AD)

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Cretaceous, Lower (145 - 100.5 million years)

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Ancient Roman

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Ancient Roman Bone Dice (Sin Precio de Reserva)

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