Op 31/01/2024 om 12:27 schreef Bald Eagle:
> Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
> 
> 
>>> not too sure about the choice of colours and lighting, but .. wow.  v cool.
>>>
>> I certainly agree also about the wow, and I admire the task you have
>> achieved. Strange indeed that location and orientation were away from
>> the origin. I cannot imagine how the original builders could have
>> achieved that...
> 
> X-ray crystallography.
> And they probably didn't care because they likely have taxpayer purchased
> software packages that will parse, assemble, and orient it with a few clicks.
> 
> I currently have my nose to the ground, trying to find an algorithm to generate
> the inverse of a 9x9 rigid body transform matrix - if I can puzzle that out,
> then any object specified with 4 points can be mapped to any other instance with
> a transform {matrix{}} statement.
> Then I can take one base, look over where it sits somewhere else in the helix,
> and calculate exactly how to get it from one place to another.
> 
That could be very useful. Also in a universal sense, applied to all 
sort of transformations/mutations.

>>> @TdG 'Roman Dodecahedron'.
>>>
>>> also v cool.  has me wonder, did it have a function, or was it just "decor" ?
>>>
>> Unknown. Read the wikipedia page attached ;-)
> 
> I only read that one page - but it occurred to me that with the different sized
> holes and 12 sides, that maybe it some sort of monthly calendar.  If all the
> holes were unique sizes you could drop a graduated cone into a hole, and it
> would sink down to a unique depth.   But that probably not at all what it was
> used for.  :D
> 
Who knows. At the moment, the context of the finds is ambiguous. It 
certainly was a highly prised object (included within hoards for 
instance), not much physically manipulated (few wear traces). A 
ritualistic purpose seems indicated. Also, restricted to the NW part of 
the Roman empire: Gaul and the British Isles.

-- 
Thomas

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