Replica Egyptian 20-Sided Die

Design by CornerstoneGamer

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This die is a replica of a 20-sided die from ancient Egypt, dated from some time between the 2nd century B.C. - 4th century A.D. (Ptolemaic/Roman periods) and inscribed with the first twenty letters of the Greek alphabet. It is based on examples in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and features the same alphabetic variant seen on those (for example, the unusual alpha and the C-like Coptic "sima" in place of sigma). Originals were made out of serpentine or faience, so sandstone seems like the most appropriate material for printing this one, though it would also be a nifty conversation piece in metal or alumide. Evidently the makers of the originals were aware of the five Platonic solids, including the icosahedron, and ancient gamers were quick to recognize the usefulness of such a shape for creating random game results. While it is unknown precisely what game these dice were used for, the letters had recognized numerical correspondents, and they could have served for anything from gambling at Nile river boat parties to roleplaying sessions among archeogeeks.

cm: 2.912 w x 2.912 d x 2.912 h

in: 1.146 w x 1.146 d x 1.146 h