Tongeren: the Dodecahedron
Point of interest: Dodecahedron found in Tongeren
Tongeren — the first and oldest city in Belgium. Founded by the Romans around 10 BC, it was burned down by the Batavians half a century later, only to rise again, proudly rebuilt. Tongeren became the illustrious capital of the civitas Tungrorum, the administrative district of the region, where the Mediterranean influence of Rome was undeniable: a flourishing villa landscape, a magnificent aqueduct, grand temples and bathhouses, and markets brimming with exotic goods.
Even today, the Romans are never far away in Tongeren-Borgloon. Most hotspots are just minutes apart. Along your journey, you can visit the bronze Dodecahedron in the collection of the Gallo-Roman Museum.
The Dodecahedron
The small bronze dodecahedron, a twelve-faced object, composed of regular pentagons with circular openings in the centre, was excavated in Tongeren in the 19th century and is now part of the collection of the Gallo-Roman Museum.
Dodecahedra have been found across the northwest of the Roman Empire, from Britain to along the Rhine. Their function remains a matter of debate. Hypotheses range from a measuring instrument or calendar to a religious attribute or scepter finial, to a tool for practical uses such as gauging projectiles or weaving woolen threads. The absence of written sources explaining their use makes the find all the more intriguing.
An Immersive Change to the Roman Walk, 2027
The story of Tongeren doesn’t end here. In 2027, the Roman city walk of Tongeren will receive a multidimensional upgrade as part of the VIA VIA project. The Roman hotspots on it will be enhanced with reconstructions and immersive storytelling. You will get an even clearer sense of the Roman road and the Roman city of Tongeren, and you will also be invited to visit the aqueduct, the Plinius springs, the Gallo-Roman temple, and other local sites. Through an app, you will see what the streets of Atuatuca Tungrorum, the capital that is now Tongeren, looked like in the second century. Your guide? An AI character from the glory days of Roman Tongeren.
Are you ready for a stroll through the past?
“We cross a modern aqueduct and reach the edge of the city. Atuatuca Tungrorum. I have dreamed of visiting the only city in the region for so long. It does not disappoint. So many colours and scents. So many sounds. Barking dogs, shouting people, the rattling carts of traders like us. The streets overflow with delights. The finest fabrics. Exotic fruits and woods. Bottles and flasks. Oil from the south. Meat, bread, and perfumes. Two women argue loudly in a language I do not understand. Men in open doorways beckon passers-by inside. The sweet aroma of a bathhouse mingles with the stench of boiling animal bones for glue. I am ecstatic and despondent at the same time. For how can we sell our wares in this place? Here, in this city that already has everything?” – Ammulva Iucunda
