The issue of interpretation of signs on dice from the catacomb culture revisited

The paper proposes a new approach to interpretation of signs on dice (octahedron) attributed to the Catacomb culture. The author proceeds from the assumption that a rhombic side of the dice and pips arranged in patterns on the face formed parts of a whole and were to be interpreted based on this specific nature. L. S. Klein links the population of the Catacomb culture(s) with the Indo-Aryans with quite convincing effect. Indeed, Vedic Aryans had sacral numbers which reflected main stages of cosmogenesis. Comparison with the text of Rigveda provided an opportunity to reconstruct Catacomb numerical series, i. e. 1, 2, 3, 4, with a certain degree of probability. Catacomb pips arranged in patterns denoting the numbers on the rhombic side reflected a visual symbolism of the cosmogenesis stages which, to some extent, probably corresponded to the concept of the Vedic Aryans. However, Vedic concepts of the world were definitely more sophisticated. The Catacomb sets of several dice were, most likely, used to generate sacral numbers representing parts of a whole (e. g. 7 or 12). Dice could be used in rites that included gambling where sacral numbers had to be identified with the cosmogenesis stages.