Archaeology
Disembodied wooden phallus could be a Roman sex toy
Archaeologists excavating at the Roman fort of Vindolanda have found a phallus made of wood, which may have been a Roman sex toy from almost 2,000-years-ago.
Vindolanda (translated as “white field” or “white moor”) was a Roman auxiliary fort, situated on the fringes of the Roman Empire near Hadrian’s Wall to guard a major highway called the Stanegate.
No less than nine Roman forts were built of timber or stone at Vindolanda from around AD 85 to AD 370, creating one of the most complex archaeological sites in Britain and a unique cultural legacy of frontier life.
The phallus was initially thought to be a darning tool, as it was uncovered in a 2nd century fort ditch alongside the remains of leather shoes, dress accessories, small tools and leather waste cut-offs.
However, a new analysis by researchers from Newcastle University and University College Dublin, have now suggested that the wooden artefact is a disembodied phallus used as a sex toy, the first known example discovered anywhere in the Roman world.
The Roman’s believed that the phallus was the embodiment of a masculine generative power, and was one of the tokens of the safety of the state (sacra Romana) giving protection and good fortune.
Across the length of Hadrian’s Wall and at military installations, 59 known etchings of male genitalia, otherwise known as a fascinus or fascinum were carved at various locations to symbolise the male phallus.
They were also often depicted in painted frescoes and mosaics, or formed part of the decoration of other objects such as being embellished onto a knife handle or incised into pottery. Small, portable phalli made of bone or metal were commonly worn as pendants around the neck.
In a study published in the journal Antiquity, the researchers explore three possible explanations for the phallus’ purpose – One being a sexual implement, another as a pestle, and the third being ornamental in function which could be slotted into a statue.
Dr Rob Collins, Senior Lecturer, Archaeology, Newcastle University, explains: “The size of the phallus and the fact that it was carved from wood raises a number of questions to its use in antiquity. We know that the Romans and Greeks used sexual implements – this object from Vindolanda could be an example of one.”
https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2023.11
Header Image Credit : Antiquity Journal
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A clay token unearthed by the Temple Mount Sifting Project, is believed to have served pilgrims exchanging offerings during the Passover festival 2,000-years-ago.
The token features a seal imprint depicting an amphora and an Ancient Greek inscription. Greek letters appear around the amphora which reads ΔΟΥ-ΛΟ[Υ] (DOULOU), the genitive of the personal name, Doulês.
Doulês was a common name in parts of Thrace, Macedonia, and regions of the Black Sea, where during the Late Hellenistic and Early Roman periods was settled by communities of Jewish people.
Based on the form of the amphora, archaeologists from the Temple Mount Sifting Project suggest that the token dates from the second half of the first century AD and was likely carried by a pilgrim to the Temple Mount (approximately a century before the Second Temple’s destruction).
Unlike typical clay sealings known as bullae, the token is pinched on the back, indicating that it was intended to be handled rather than attached to a knot securing a document or container.
According to the researchers, the token is similar to another example found near Temple Mount, which bears an Aramaic inscription reading דכא/ליה and initially interpreted as “pure to God” by the archaeologists.
“The Aramaic token adds further context for the Greek-inscribed token from the Temple Mount. Notably, it depicts a wine jar, aligning with the Mishnaic text that discusses nesachim, a term for the wine libation poured on the Temple altar and also used to refer generally to all the offering components. It is plausible that this token was intended for Greek-speaking pilgrims, possibly including Jews from the diaspora,” said the Temple Mount Sifting Project.
Header Image Credit : Zachi Dvira
Sources : Temple Mount Sifting Project
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study by a team of archaeoastronomers are investigating the possible connection of the moon in influencing the Stonehenge builders.
According to a press statement by the Royal Astronomical Society, academics from Oxford, Leicester and Bournemouth universities, suggest that a major lunar standstill, a rare astronomical phenomenon, may have influenced the monument’s alignment.
A lunar standstill, also known as a lunistice, is when the Moon reaches its furthest north or furthest south point during the course of a month. A major lunar standstill is when the declination at lunar standstill varies in a cycle 18.6 years long between 18.134° (north or south) and 28.725° (north or south), due to lunar precession.
Professor Clive Ruggles, emeritus professor of archaeoastronomy at Leicester University, said: “Stonehenge’s architectural connection to the Sun is well known, but its link with the Moon is less well understood.
“The four Station Stones align with the Moon’s extreme positions, and researchers have debated for years whether this was deliberate, and – if so – how this was achieved and what might have been its purpose,” added Professor Ruggles.
The researchers plan to document Moonrises and sets at key moments in the year when the moon will be in alignment with the Station Stones. In addition, they plan to document the event and show the visual effect on the stones though light patterns and shadows.
It is believed that at least one major lunar standstill was marked during the early phases of construction at Stonehenge. This is evidenced in the cremated remains in the ditch and bank that now surrounds the stone circle, and in the Aubrey Holes – 56 pits. Many of the cremations are located in the south-eartern part in the direction of the most southerly rising position of the moon.
English Heritage, said: “The Station Stones may have been employed to help measure out the sarsen circle around 500 years after the site was first used for cremations, when the large sarsen circle was being built, suggesting a compelling and enduring connection between the lunar cycles and the architecture of Stonehenge.”
Header Image Credit : iStock
Sources : Royal Astronomical Society
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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