Considered modern devices, sex toys may actually have been invented over 2,000 years ago. A new study, conducted with a wooden artifact found in the UK, revealed that the object, once considered a tool, was used during sex.
In 1992, researchers discovered a wooden artifact with a phallic shape at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, a Roman fort south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England, where soldiers guarded the road linking the River Tyne to the Solway Firth. At the time, the object was considered a darning tool. However, in a new study, experts from the University of Newcastle and University College Dublin questioned the true function of the artifact.
Phalluses were widely used throughout the Roman Empire as a form of protection against bad luck. Small phallic objects carved from bone or made of metal were commonly used as pendants, while houses were decorated with mosaics featuring phalluses.
Measuring 9 inches, the object was found alongside dozens of other artifacts, including shoes, clothing accessories, small tools, and craft waste such as leather scraps and worked horns.
However, given the size of the object found, researchers decided to conduct a new analysis. The research revealed that both ends of the object were visibly smoother, indicating "repeated contact over time."
"The size of the phallus and the fact that it was carved in wood raises a series of questions about its use," said researcher Rob Collins, responsible for the analysis. "If the object is a sex toy, we believe it could be the oldest example in Britain. We cannot be certain of its intended use, unlike most other phallic objects that make symbolic use of this form for a clear function, such as a good luck charm."
Although the team's main theory is that the object was used as a sex toy, they say there could be several other possibilities. The object may have been used as a pestle to grind ingredients for cosmetics or medicines, say the researchers. It could also have been fitted into a statue that people touched for luck, something that was common throughout the Roman Empire. However, the team emphasizes that they have not yet found evidence of such a statue in the Roman fort, either indoors or outdoors.
