The symbolic use of phallic items to promote conception and ward off evil spirits dates back thousands of years, but they have also long been employed as sexual aids.
A 7.8-inch (20cm) long, 1.1-inch (3cm) wide stone object (pictured) was found in the Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura. The prehistoric ‘tool’ is made from 14 fragments of siltstone and dates back 28,000 years. Due to its size, experts believe it may be the earliest example of a sex aid ever found
For instance, a 28,000-year-old phallus discovered lately in Germany is cited as the oldest known'sex toy' ever discovered.
Aside from the fact that phalluses made of stone, wood, leather, and even camel dung have all been discovered during excavations or mentioned in historical writing and artifacts.
The Wellcome Collection is featuring a number of ceremonial sculptures as part of its Institute of Sexology exhibition to honor this extensive history of sexual experience.
Symbol: In Turkey, during the 6th century BC, ancient Anatolians used sculptures of sex organs (pictured) to ward off evil and ill luck as they believed they contained special powers
Around 1400 AD, the word "dildo" was first used. It derives from the Latin word "dilatare," which means "open wide," and the Italian word "diletto," which means "delight."
According to ancient accounts from the Middle East, the Egyptians and the Greeks used unripe bananas or camel dung that had been coated in resin as sexual enhancers.
However, the aids had been in use since 500 BC, when phalluses were carved from stone, leather, or wood. Some even contained tar.
In ancient Greece, in particular, reports claim traders in the city of Miletus made and sold objects called ‘olisbos’, intended to help wives achieve sexual penetration while their husbands were away.
The aids were also used in Renaissance Italy, and were typically made of leather and used with olive oil for lubrication.
During excavations at Neolithic site Membury Rings in Dorset, archaeologists found various deposits of artefacts and other material, including antler, animal and human bone, and flints. Among these artefacts was a phallic-shaped object made of chalk (pictured) that measures 4-inches long. However, its use is unknown
High class members of society would even display their sex toys, often made from silver, gold and ivory.
However, they were said to be painful to use and their popularity waned. The first dildos didn’t arrive in the UK until the 1500s.
Honor Beddard, co-curator at the Wellcome Collection said: ‘The Institute of Sexology presents the study of sex in all its complexity and contradiction.
According to stories, merchants in the ancient Greek city of Miletus allegedly produced and sold items known as "olisbos" that were designed to aid wives in experiencing sexual penetration while their husbands were gone.
The devices, which were normally constructed of leather and lubricated with olive oil, were also employed in Renaissance Italy.
High class people would even flaunt their sex toys, which were frequently fashioned of silver, gold, and ivory.
Statues of fertility god Priapus with a large phallus would be used to protect gardens and help crops grow. Priapus was often depicted with oversized, permanent erection, which is where the name for the medical term priapism originated. Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for hours
Their use was reportedly painful, and as a result, their appeal declined. In the 1500s, the first dildos made their way to the UK.
The Institute of Sexology presents the study of sex in all its complexity and contradiction, according to Honor Beddard, co-curator at the Wellcome Collection.
It highlights the human tales behind the charting of sexual experience and brings together the various collections of information, artwork, testimony, and items from those who questioned preconceived notions about sex.
The exhibition "reveals our understanding of sexual identity as an ever-evolving story," highlighting the "profound effect that gathering and analyzing information can have in changing attitudes about the human condition."
The show includes erotica, cinema, photography, medical artifacts, ethnography, and rare historical material all relating to sex.
A 7.8-inch (20-cm) long by 1.1-inch (3-cm) wide stone artifact was discovered in 2005 in the Swabian Jura's Hohle Fels Cave, close to Ulm.
Phallic charms of the time were known as fascinum (examples pictured), and were even found in the ruins of Pompeii, and it was believed that the symbols could ward off evil spirits. Used in ancient Roman religion and magic, the fascinum referred to the god Fascinus. The phallus was used to summon divine protection
The 28,000-year-old prehistoric 'tool' is constructed of 14 siltstone shards.
Professor Nicholas Conard of the department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology at Tübingen University said that because of its size, experts think it might be the earliest example of a sex aid ever discovered. However, he added that it could have also been used for knapping flints to aid in lighting fires.
Archaeologists discovered a variety of artifacts and other materials during early 20th-century excavations at the Neolithic site Membury Rings in Dorset, including antler, animal and human bone, flints, and carved chalk.
The 'Veedee' massager (pictured) is said to have been used by doctors to cure Victorian women of hysteria. But this has been disputed as myth
One of these artifacts was a chalk thing in the shape of a phallus that is about four inches long. Its application is unknown.
However, the sculptures weren't only used for sexual gratification.
A female orgasm was viewed as a sacrifice to the fertility gods in some pagan civilizations, and the phallic emblem was well-liked in ancient Rome.
In particular, statues of the phallic-shaped fertility god Priapus were erected to guard gardens and promote agricultural growth.
The term "priapism" is derived from the Greek mythology character Priapus, who was seen to have an enormous, permanent erection.
A prolonged and frequently painful erection that lasts for several hours or, in rare circumstances, for weeks is known as priapism.
The Wellcome Collection houses a number of artifacts, including a solid bronze amulet in the shape of Priapus.
A solid bronze amulet, in the form of Priapus, is among the artefacts displayed at the Wellcome Collection
Fascinum, or phallic charms, were popular at the time and were even discovered in Pompeii's ruins. It was thought that the emblems helped fend off evil spirits.
The fascinum was a term for the god Fascinus that was used in ancient Roman religion and sorcery. The phallus was employed to call out divine defense.
The phallic deity Mutunus Tutunus was also a representation of marital sex.
Ancient Anatolians utilized sex organ sculptures to ward against evil and bad luck in Turkey during the sixth century BC because they thought they had extraordinary powers.
The first vibrator was constructed much later, in 18th-century France. It was called Tremoussoir. It was a portable, wind-up device made by doctors.
Before Dr. Joseph Granville produced an electromechanical vibrator in 1880, an American physician named George Taylor is credited with inventing a steam-powered version of the device known as the Manipulator in 1869.
These contraptions were allegedly employed to treat female hysteria, not as sexual aids.
According to reports, doctors questioned that women had libidos as early as the 13th century and suggested utilizing sex toys to ease their sexual angst.
The Greek word for uterus is hysteria, and doctors used vibrators for clitoral stimulation to treat this condition in the 20th century.
Hysteria symptoms included anxiety, insomnia, agitation, and sensual thoughts.
The Institute of Sexology exhibition features rare archival material, erotica, film, photography, medical artefacts and ethnography, all related to sex. A collection of sexual aids on display is pictured. The exhibition runs at the London-based museum until 20 September 2015
Veedee, one of these vibrators, is on display at the Wellcome Collection, but a representative told MailOnline that the vibrator's use as a Victorian orgasm-inducing device by doctors has been debunked as a hoax.
The earliest known rubber dildos date to around 1850, and throughout the 1930s and 1940s, they first appeared in motion pictures.
Many were now referred to as marital aids rather than sexual aids.
According to technology historian Rachel Maines, "the vibrator kind of split into two product lines at the turn of the century."
The concept that there were consumer vibrators on the market infuriated doctors, so there was one for them and one for consumers.
For those without power, there were some of these reasonably priced devices that resembled egg beaters. There were other ones that ran on batteries.
Even ones powered by water that you could hook to your sink existed.
