Hochet

Rattle with a bell with a handle (broken?), a head with four protrusions on the sides and another at the top. The hole through which the bell was passed remains clearly visible.
Gallo-Roman rattle discovered in Rennes, terracotta Among the toys given to babies in the Roman civilization, we must count the rattles. They adopt various forms, including animal. They are made of metal or ceramic, like this unique example preserved in the Museum of Brittany. Ancient texts attest to the use of these objects called in Latin "crepitaculum", from the verb "crepare", which means "to make noise". There is nothing to identify a rattle in this object with five protuberances, but it is enough to shake it to hear the sound of the bell so characteristic, which makes it one of the oldest toys for toddlers whose use continues for over two millennia.