Why wouldn’t they just stick it on a short nail with a wide flat base? It would be a lot more economical. Also, there’s no mention of wax on them, which can take a long time to break down.
Speculative uses include as a candlestick holder (wax was found inside two examples); dice; survey instruments for estimating distances to (or sizes of) distant objects;[5] devices for determining the optimal sowing date for winter grain;[6] gauges to calibrate water pipes, legionary standard bases,[7] or a coin measuring device for counterfeit detection. Several dodecahedra were found in coin hoards, providing evidence that their owners either considered them valuable objects, or believed their only use was connected with coins.
I'd imagine merchants counting money would want a non-destructive way to hold candles. Tons of great theories though.
Whoops, read it last night, must have missed the wax. I still have a hard time imagining it’s a candle holder though. You and all your soldiers have got to haul all this heavy shit across a continent, and somebody wants to bring a candle stick holder? Even if you had slaves, they could be hauling something more useful than that.
Edit: oop.