[Regia-NA] Circles and dots

[Tracie Brown]

Looking through Halvgrimr's pages 

http://www.missouri.edu/~winsloww/archives/gamepieces/Vik_Art/
93.jpg

has inspired me to ask:  Does anyone know of a period 
implement or method, conjecturally period implement or 
method, or even a modern way to mass-produce these ubiquitous 
circle-and-dot motifs? (Some other way than wood-burning, I 
might add.) The best I've done is to file a screwdriver into 
an inverted U, which works but is hell on my hands.

BTW, I have an interesting story regarding these.  I sent a 
similar query to a specialty tool and bit company, hoping I 
might find something modern to do the trick, and included a 
different picture of some 11c dice.  The guy I corresponded 
with didn't read my message carefully and thought that they 
were of modern manufacture. He allowed as how they could only 
be done with some sophisticated manufacturing process and 
tools.  He was quite amazed and impressed when I pointed out 
that they had been made 1000 years ago with hand tools. 

-- Signy