Believe it or not, sex toys have been in existence for thousands of years. Historical reports make reference to the Egyptians using camel feces and unripe bananas layered in resin to serve as sexual aids. Many historians would have us believe that humanity was naive and innocent throughout the ages. This mindset is especially prevalent in western society. However, the discovery of prehistoric sex toys such as ancient dildos fashioned from stone, ivory, and antlers tells us that our ancestors weren’t quite as innocent and naïve as we’ve been led to believe. These findings, known as “ice-age batons” by archeologists, are evidence that sex toys have played a much larger role in human history than we could have ever imagined.Take for instance the reference of dildos in ancient Greek art. As we all know, ancient Greece has heavily influenced the world through its art, politics, and culture. Who knows what other ideas they could have spread to the rest of the world? With that being said, read on to learn more Talk about sex toys for beginners : Prehistoric Sex Toys that you won’t believe exist
Egypt
It’s rumored that Cleopatra herself created the first vibrator by filling a gourd with buzzing bees. This is more of a funny historical joke with perhaps the slightest hint of truth to it, but it creates compelling imagery to come to mind. In reality, Cleopatra likely used the same stone or lacquered wood dildos commonplace amongst ladies of her time. Furthermore, there is even record of Julius Caesar gifting Cleopatra an ornate gold inlaid penis sculpture. Whether the gift was just a “sculpture” no one actually knows.
China
Next, we have the second imperial dynasty of China, the Han Dynasty, where antique sex toys were found buried within the tombs of aristocrats. One of the discovered toys was a 2,000-year-old hollow bronze dildo that was believed to have been worn as a strap-on due to the affixed ring. Because of its hollow design, it’s theorized that it was mostly worn by men who might have had issues with erectile dysfunction.
Another variation of this same toy was also found – a jade buttplug. The only difference between the two prehistoric toys was the fact that one had a ring and the other did not. It’s speculated that due to its discovery in a king’s tomb,the jade butt plug was mostly utilized by males. Upon further analysis by researchers, the antiquated butt plug may have servedmultiple functions.The jade composition of the toy was a priceless commodity that was believed to ward off spirits and decay of the body. The device was also used to seal up corpses to avoid fluidic discharge after death.
Next, we look at the Xinjiang Uyghur region of China where 4,000-year-old female mummies were unearthed clutching phallic carvings. Each carving measured 4cm in length and was mostly painted a shade of red to indicate status. More than 330 boat-shaped coffins were uncovered, revealing that each buried woman was clutching a wooden phallus. A few of the tombs had been looted before the discovery. However, most had been left intact.
Rome
We now visit ancient Rome where “sexual amulets” were found in the ruins of a house located in northern Israel. The researchers who unearthed these phallic amulets claimed that the floor of the house was covered in frescoes, a painting that’s finished rapidly in watercolor or wet plaster on a ceiling or wall so that the paint penetrates the surface of its canvas and becomes fixed as it dries. The fresco method of painting was used heavily during Roman times by some of the more memorable artists of the Italian Renaissance such as Masaccio, Michelangelo, and Giotto. Researchers have yet to find out who the house belonged to, but Professor Daniel Schowalter believes the toy might have been commissioned by a Roman official stationed in the area, due to the location and the frescoes. It could have also been a local high-class citizen who had adopted Roman art into their home.
In reality, these bronze amulets may not have been toys at all, despite their phallic shape. Penis shaped bronze objects AKA tintinnabula, were crafted in Pompeii in an attempt to protect people from the eye of the devil and other evil forces. Interestingly enough images of penises were drawn at the gates of cities as well on statues of Priapus, the God of fertility.
There has even been a discovery of a Roman ruin in Morocco that shows a stone penis pointing to a brothel further illustrating the versatile use of phallic imagery and objects in Roman culture. Despite its multiple uses there is still the possibility that the discovered sexual amulets were still used as masturbatory aids.
Germany
This next prehistoric sex toy was described as an “object” when it was first discovered and is considered the oldest dildo in existence to date.The sculpture was discovered in a cave in Ulm, Germany. It was 20cm in length and made of stone. After going through the arduous process of assembling all 14 pieces (apparently, the object was broken upon discovery), there was substantial evidence pointing towards the fact that the object could have doubled as a fire starter. Professor Nicholas Conard from Tubingen University claims that the markings on the stone phallus are indicative of the object being used as a flint.
Sweden
Germany may indeed hold the title for hosting the oldest sex toy discovered to date, but Sweden comes in second with an old sex toy that dates back 4000 – 6000 years. This toy was unique due to its composition of antler bone. That may not seem that impressive to the average person, but finding perfectly preserved organic material, such as antler bones, can be impossibly tough. Luckily, the area in Sweden in which this tool was unearthed preserved the bone material for thousands of years. Frankly, nothing like this has been found before in Scandinavian or Northern European dig sites. Due to its obvious phallic shape, it’s widely assumed that it was used as a sex toy. However, others believe it’s a uniquely shaped knife. At this point, we can only speculate what the tool was really used for.
Conclusion
In today’s modern world, sex toys have become commonplace. Today, we have hi-tech sex toys composed of silicone, plastic, metal, and so on. Those who came before us had to work with the materials that were available to themsuch as stone, wood, and maybe even bees in a gourd. That last one is still up in the air though. Ultimately, prehistoric sex toys were more than just tools for self-induced pleasure.They served a variety of functions that span from worship to symbolic placeholders. The fact that so many civilizations and cultures used sex toys tells us that pleasure is universal. Don’t be surprised if more prehistoric sex toys begin popping up in other cultures around the world.
