History · Finds
The Brian Campbell Dodecahedron
Key points
- Found in August 1987 while Brian Campbell was refilling a tree-stump hole in his garden in Romford, East London.[MF]
- It sat on his kitchen windowsill for about 10 years until he saw a near-identical one at the Saalburg Roman fort in Germany.[MF]
- Campbell describes it as smaller than a tennis ball. Our replica follows it in every detail but is scaled to 10 cm.[MF]
The find
Campbell's shovel struck metal as he refilled a tree-stump hole. The object was caked in clay. His first impression, he told Mental Floss, was that it was beautifully made, probably as a measuring tool of some sort. Museums in London later confirmed what it was but could add nothing about its origin or purpose; he keeps it in a display cabinet at home.[MF]
How it may have got there
Campbell's own idea is that soldiers left it while travelling between London and Camulodunum (Colchester). Romford was then a river crossing and probably the site of a fortified posting station.[MF] That is his suggestion, not an archaeological finding.
On video
Historian Stefan Milo covers Roman dodecahedra in “The most debated artefact of all time – Enigmatic Artefacts” on YouTube.
Our replica of it
| Ancient3DCrafts replica | |
|---|---|
| Design | Hole placements from photo examination of Campbell's find; every face, ring and knob |
| Size | Scaled to 10 cm (10.05 cm edge to edge); originals range 4–11 cm[W] |
| Metal | Solid brass or solid bronze, lost-wax cast |
| Weight | Just under 600 g |
| Ships | Pre-order, late November 2026 |
FAQ
Where was the Brian Campbell dodecahedron found?
In his garden in Romford, East London, in August 1987.
Is your replica the same size?
No. It follows Campbell's find in every detail but is scaled up to 10 cm, among the largest sizes known; Campbell describes his original as smaller than a tennis ball.
Sources
- [MF] T. Metcalfe, “The Mysterious Bronze Objects That Have Baffled Archaeologists for Centuries”, Mental Floss, 6 Aug 2018
- [W] Wikipedia, “Roman dodecahedron” (accessed Oct 2026)
Want a Gallo-Roman dodecahedron on your desk? Our bronze dodecahedron replica is cast by the lost-wax method.