Ancient sex toys

Sex toys have a long history across cultures. Studying the earliest sex toys gives us a historical frame to view our vibrators today and in recent history.

Prehistoric dildos
A 28,000-year old dildo found in Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm, Germany, was hypothesized by scientists to have been used to knap flints in addition to its more obvious use as a sex toy.

Archaeologists have also unearthed a dildo carved from bone in Sweden. According to researchers, the area's "unique features may have allowed bone artifacts, which usually get destroyed over the millennia, to survive". The smooth and fine texture of the object shows its purpose, while its shape is modeled after the male genitals. Its demonstration of sexuality is not an uncommon theme among archaeologists' findings.

Design studies
Vibrators, compared to dildos, are relatively recent due to the fact that they are driven by electricity. However, we can still find predecessors of vibrators in history.

Ancient Egypt
Based on ancient stories, the earliest vibrators date back to 54 B.C. in Egypt, where they were created by filling up a hollow gourd with dozens of bees. Because of the darkness and stuffiness inside the gourd, the bees tend to move frantically and attack each other, while constantly hitting the wall and causing vibrations in the gourd. This device was invented to serve the sexual needs of Cleopatra, at a time when there was limited technology available. Although the treatment of the creatures (bees) was not humanistic, this invention reflects the role of sex in daily life. We cannot test the validity of this application, due to the lack of preservation of appliances. But archaeologists do use stories and tales to assist their studies of the object. And here the stories of Cleopatra show the importance of the sex toy in history.

18th-century France
Later in 1750, water-driven sex toys was invented in France, as part of the effort to cure hysteria. Medical workers wield hose to apply water towards uteruses of the patient, in order to moderate its movement inside the victim's body. This approach soon became popular and widely accepted by doctors, and according to one doctor, "One treatment wouldn't cure a woman with hysteria, only make her feel better for a while. So it made for lucrative repeat business..."

Conclusion
As we can see, the design and production of female sex toys (dildo, vibrators) have a long history. They reflect the role of sex as an important component of humanity and everyday life, no matter in ancient time or at present.