Early records reveal that humans could have been kissing as early as 4,500 years ago.
First Kiss in Records
According to Phys, Dr. Troels Pank Arbøll and Dr. Sophie Lund Rasmussen were able to draw on various early records pertaining to Mesopotamian societies and show that the practice of kissing was already established as early as 4,500 years ago across the Middle East. It may have even been established much earlier. Such findings were documented in the Science journal.
The Independent reports that the researchers explained that kissing was a common practice in several cultures and that it did not have a specific originating source. Such notions contradict prior hypotheses claiming that kissing originated in a specific South Asian area roughly 3,500 years ago.
Dr. Arbøll, an expert on a history of medicine in Mesopotamia from the University of Copenhagen, explains that across ancient Mesopotamia, people had cuneiform script written over tablets of clay. Thousands of these tablets survived until this point in time and have samples that show how kissing was considered a romantically intimate act during these prehistoric periods. Kissing could have been part of family and friend relationships.
Hence, because of this, kissing should not be thought of as a practice that exclusively started in one specific area and spread somewhere else.
Dr. Rasmussen also notes that studies on chimpanzees and bonobos, two of the closest relatives of humans, show that both of these creatures kiss. This suggests that kissing could be a fundamental human behavior and further sheds light on why it is a multicultural practice.
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Kissing and Virus Spread
While kissing may have played a sexual and social role, it could have also unintentionally fueled certain microorganism transmissions. More specifically, it may have led viruses to spread among humans. Herpes simplex virus 1, specifically, could have been spread through it.
As per the Independent, Dr. Arbøll explains that there is a substantial collection of Mesopotamian medical texts. Some of these mention a condition that mirrors herpes simplex virus 1 symptoms. He adds, however, that these texts could be affected by religious and cultural views. Hence, they cannot be interpreted at face value.
Dr. Arbøll adds that it is nevertheless quite interesting to observe similarities between herpes simplex virus 1 and the ancient disease called bu'shanu. This bu'shanu disease affects the mouth's insides or surroundings as well as the throat. Symptoms cover vesicles within or surrounding the mouth, which is also a hallmark indicator of herpes.
The authors conclude that looking further into ancient DNA, which will facilitate discussions regarding complex social interactions and historical development, will lead to results that benefit from an approach that is interdisciplinary.
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