Adult toys to aid in sexual pleasure are typically assumed to be contemporary gadgets, but a recent study reveals that they may be considerably older than previously thought. A weird wooden phallus was unearthed in the Roman fort of Vindolanda and is thought to have been used during sexual intercourse.
The instrument was discovered alongside hundreds of shoes and dress accessories so it was first assumed to be a darning tool. However, the new study, titled "Touch Wood: Luck, Protection, Power or Pleasure? A Wooden Phallus From Vindolanda Roman Fort" published in Antiquity, shows that the 7-inch-long (17 centimeters) life-size device was utilized as a sexual instrument.
Archaeologist Petra Kieselbach of Germany holds a 28,000 years old stone phallus which has been discovered in a cave in Baden-Wuertemberg in southern Germany, during a press conference in Schelklingen 25 July 2005.
Was This the First Adult Toy Ever Found?
Dr. Rob Collins, one of the study's authors, told MailOnline that if the object is indeed an adult toy to aid in sexual pleasure, then it might be the earliest example from Britain.
The wooden artifact was discovered in 1992 in the Roman fort Vindolanda, in northern England south of Hadrian's Wall, where troops guarded the passage from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth. It was discovered together with other artifacts, such as shoes, clothing accessories, tiny tools, and craft waste items like leather cut-offs and worked antlers.
Due to this, archaeologists thought it was a darning instrument. Nevertheless, considering the object's phallic character, researchers at Newcastle University and University College Dublin questioned if this was the case in their latest study. According to BBC, phalli were commonly utilized to ward against ill luck throughout the Roman Empire.
Miniature phalli cut from bone or made from metal were regularly worn as pedants, and residences were frequently ornamented with phalli frescoes or mosaics. Yet, given its lifelike dimensions, the experts believe the wooden phallus was utilized for more than just warding off evil.
Their study indicated that both ends of the item were substantially smoother, indicating repeated touch over time. Dr. Collins added that the size of the phallus and the act it was carved from wood raises a variety of questions regarding its function. Unlike most of the phallic artifacts found in the past that have a definite function, the researchers cannot be positive of its intended usage.
Possible Uses of the Wooden Phallus
While the team's top assumption is that the device was used as an adult toy, they acknowledge that there are various alternative possibilities. According to Live Science, archaeologists have proposed a variety of uses for the artifact, including being used as mortar to ground substances for cosmetics or medications.
Also, they hypothesized that it might have been incorporated into a statue that people would touch for good luck, as was typical across the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, the team emphasizes that they have yet to locate evidence of such a statue, either indoors or outside, at the Roman fort.
Dr. Rob Sands, one of the study's authors, said that wooden artifacts would have been common in the past; but they usually survive in specific conditions in northern Europe, specifically in dark, damp, and oxygen-free deposits. Due to that, the wooden phallus is an unusual survivor.
The researchers suggest that many wooden phalli were probably utilized at Vindolanda. Barbara Birley, Curator of the Vindolanda Trust, noted that the wooden phallus may likely be just one of its sort used at the site. The artifact will now be displayed in the Vindolanda Museum in Northumberland.
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