The 30,000-year history of the dildo

There’s something that almost every civilization across history – even early ones – had in common, and no, it’s not daggers or spears. It’s actually the dildo.

If you thought our penis-shaped friends were a modern-day invention, let me blow your mind: there’s evidence that dildos already existed in the Stone Age, about 30,000 years ago. Archeologists found several objects resembling phalluses from this period near a mountain range in Germany, and based on their real-life size, detailed nature, and smooth, polished construction, scholars concluded that these ancient items must have been used as dildos. And you thought our generation was kinky…

A few thousands of years down the line, we have ancient Greeks baking extra bread to make their notorious olisbokollikes. These were essentially bread dildos (baguettes, that is) that are recorded in different sources, attesting to their existence. However, it’s unclear whether they were used in rituals for spiritual purposes or for everyday pleasure – which can also be considered a spiritual experience anyway.

But it’s not just Europe holding a record of ancient dildos. On the other side of the world, we find the wealthy Han dynasty in China (206 B.B. - 220 A.D), who similarly to ancient Egyptians, also believed in life after death and in keeping the same living standard in the afterlife. That’s why they were burying their dead with their most important personal possessions, amongst which bronze dildos were found.

It’s worth mentioning that for the Han, these phalluses had a bigger purpose than just sheering physical pleasure. They believed that through sex – especially pleasurable and lasting one –, the balance of yin and yang could be achieved. Therefore, the inclusion of their lavish dildos in their tombs was meant to ensure that they would have a nice and peaceful afterlife.

Moving forward to the 1500s in Europe, dildos went from being a spirituality tool to being straight-up scandalous when nuns started to use them in an effort to “quell the gnawing of the flesh”. Only a century later, dildos became more available to the wealthy and English women even started making their own dildos at home. This is not to say that they were socially accepted though; in fact, they were eventually made illegal.

At about the same time, in Japan people had a way more relaxed attitude towards these sex toys. Dildos were featured in Japanese erotic books known as “shunga”, where women were depicted enjoying them in their private time. The Japanese government later banned shunts in 1722, but that’s a different story.

Coming closer to modern days, throughout the 1960s and 1970s, dildos were primarily made of rubber, which was not the best material especially when it came to washing them. But then Gosnell Duncan created the first silicone dildo in 1970, looking to provide disabled people with medical aid. What he probably didn’t expect, is that silicone would become the norm for dildos to come up until now.

Taking into account that the sex toy industry is estimated at about 30 billion dollars in 2022, it’s safe to say that the dildo has come a very long way since its days of stone and antler bone.

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