Is This The World's Oldest Spaghetti Measuring Device?

Although no one can be entirely sure what the intriguing dodecahedron recently found in Lincolnshire is, a popular theory is that it could be the world's oldest spaghetti-measuring tool.

In June 2023, the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group stumbled across a mysterious artefact that they described as "one of archaeology's great enigmas." It's not unique (32 similar objects have already been discovered in the UK), but their find was in excellent condition and made by an exceptional craftsman.

Because other dodecahedrons from the same era are of different sizes, the group has ruled out any suggestion that they are some measuring device. They also ruled it out as some kind of workman's tool due to its fragility and the fact that it would have been costly. Because the Romans were superstitious and relied on symbols to guide them through life, their best guess is that it is probably an ornament used in a religious context.

On the flip side, followers of the spaghetti measuring theory point to the fact that the Romans loved their pasta and that the different-sized holes on each of the dodecahedron's 12 sides are the perfect size for measuring different portions of spaghetti. They also note that if it was an essential religious artefact, why is there no mention of it in literature or any depiction in murals or mosaics?

The conundrum will probably never be solved. That's just as well because these days, there are a plethora of gadgets and gizmos for measuring the right amount of spaghetti per person, with digital kitchen scales being our firm favourite.