On: Roman dodecahedron: 12-sided object has baffled archaeologists for centuries

[Ekaros]

Paperweights would be even greater use for Romans. As often they were wound up on scrolls which means that some item stopping them from wounding up again when unwound would be rather useful.

[adrian_b → Ekaros]

Long scrolls were normally read by unwrapping them from a stick, while wrapping them again on another stick, i.e. like magnetic tapes are read now.

So the two sticks kept the scroll unwound around the reading position.