Mysterious Roman object draws in the crowds

A mysterious artefact dating back to Roman times has boosted visitor numbers at Lincoln Museum.

The dodecahedron, one of only 33 to be found in Great Britain, was discovered at an amateur dig in Norton Disney, outside Lincoln, last year.

Lincolnshire County Council said 6,500 people had visited the museum since the 12-sided object went on show on 4 May.

Visitors can also learn more about Lincoln's Roman past, and explore other finds unearthed across the city and county.

The dodecahedron is thought to have been buried about 1,700 years ago and is one of the largest found to date, measuring about 3in (8cm) tall and weighing 8oz (245g).

Richard Parker, the secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, said experts had yet to discover what it was used for.

"Magic, rituals or religion - we perhaps may never know," he added.

The group is planning to return to the area where the dodecahedron was found in the hope of unearthing more clues.

Dawn Heywood, the senior collections development officer at Lincoln Museum, said the object had helped to boost visitor numbers by about 27 per cent, from about 5,100 in the same period last year.

About 2,500 people visited the museum for the Lincoln Festival of History during the May bank holiday weekend, she added.

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