The term Rotulus refers to a long roll which is a narrow strip made of papyrus or parchment which is used for writing. Both sides of the strip are attached with a wooden staff for winding it vertically. Normally, one side of this long rolling strip is used for writing the necessary content in a perpendicular direction towards the staff. It was mostly used by Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. The Lorsch Rotulus of the Carolinian is an example of a rotulus that dates back to the 9th century.  We can see rotulus art as early as the fourteenth century 
In ancient times, rotuli were also used for maintaining:-

1. Legal Records;
2. Liturgical Manuscripts; and
3. Mortuary Rolls