A 2,000-year-old penis-shaped wooden object found in an ancient Roman military camp more than 30 years ago may have been used by the Romans as a sex toy. On this subject said in a study published in the journal Antiquity.
According to scientists, an artifact in the form of a wooden phallus 160 mm long and ending in a penis glans was discovered in 1992 in the moat of the former Roman military camp of Vindolanda (located in the territory of the modern England). Initially, scientists thought the phallic object was a recovery tool, as it was found with shoes, clothing accessories, and small tools.
However, researchers now believe that the object could be used, in particular, to stimulate the clitoris. At the same time, according to scientists, the dildo could also be used when torturing slaves.
Study co-author, archaeologist Rob Collins, in an interview with CNN noted that if the object was actually used as a sex toy, this is the first such find in ancient Roman culture.
“We shouldn’t be surprised by that. We know from Roman art and Roman literature that they used dildos, that they existed. But we haven’t found any archaeological examples yet,” he said.
Scholars note that small, portable phallus-shaped objects were often used as pendants, likely to ward off evil and bad luck. At the same time, the object found at Vindolanda has more wear at both ends than in the middle. Although this may indicate that the phallus was touched by luck or to protect against misfortune, at the same time the artifact lacks the characteristics that would indicate that it was installed on a structure.
According to another version, the object could be used to grind or mix cooking materials, cosmetics, ointments or medicines, and the phallic shape could add symbolic protection to prepared items. Collins, in turn, noted that the element could serve multiple purposes or its function could change over time.
