My preferred theory is that it identifies the bearer as belonging to a group something like a smithies guild.
If there was a practical function someone would have figured it out. It’s a lame candle holder, coin counter, and glove knitting template. It’s function is symbolic.
It was hard to make, and the materials were costly.
It has specific features that can be described like “it has 12 flat faces with holes” but would be difficult to construct if you had never seen one.
They have often been found with caches of coins, but often found alone as though forgotten or discarded. They had value to some people but they were not treasure.
In other words, they were masterpieces in the original meaning of the word. Masterpiece originally meant not just some great or acclaimed work, but something much more specific. It was the work a guild artisan would use to demonstrate their ultimate skill and earn the title of Master. It was the craftsman equivalent of an academic dissertation. For a specific historical example, see columbine cup.
I really like the “you cant actually make one from a description” angle. That actually makes a lot of sense. Like, you couldn’t even make it from memory, you’d have to copy it.
In 1000 years if they discovered Newton’s Cradles, they’d be similarly baffled on their functional use case. My theory is that it’s just a cool decoration thing
My preferred theory is that it identifies the bearer as belonging to a group something like a smithies guild.
If there was a practical function someone would have figured it out. It’s a lame candle holder, coin counter, and glove knitting template. It’s function is symbolic.
It was hard to make, and the materials were costly.
It has specific features that can be described like “it has 12 flat faces with holes” but would be difficult to construct if you had never seen one.
They have often been found with caches of coins, but often found alone as though forgotten or discarded. They had value to some people but they were not treasure.
In other words, they were masterpieces in the original meaning of the word. Masterpiece originally meant not just some great or acclaimed work, but something much more specific. It was the work a guild artisan would use to demonstrate their ultimate skill and earn the title of Master. It was the craftsman equivalent of an academic dissertation. For a specific historical example, see columbine cup.
I really like the “you cant actually make one from a description” angle. That actually makes a lot of sense. Like, you couldn’t even make it from memory, you’d have to copy it.
Yep, in a way this has similarities to modern cryptography.
In cryptography you can share a public key, which can’t be used to create the private key but can be used to identify the correct private key.
With this object, you can share a description which can’t be used to make the object, but can be used to identify the object.
Its obviously not infallible security, but it would take some effort to overcome.
In 1000 years if they discovered Newton’s Cradles, they’d be similarly baffled on their functional use case. My theory is that it’s just a cool decoration thing