Stone Age Carving: Ancient Dildo?

Photo: A phallic carving out of antler bone dating from the Stone Age, discovered recently in Sweden. Peter Zetterlund, Swedish National Heritage Board/Livescience.

Last week, an excavation in Sweden turned up an object that bears the unmistakable look of a penis carved out of antler bone. Though scientists can't be sure exactly what this tool was used for, it's hard not to leap to conclusions...

"Without doubt anyone alive at the time of its making would have seen the penile similarities just as easily as we do today," wrote Swedish archaeologist Martin Rundkvist on his blog, Aardvarchaeology...

The carved bone was unearthed at a Mesolithic site in Motala, Sweden, that is rich with ancient artifacts from between 4,000 to 6,000 B.C. The area's unique features may have allowed bone artifacts, which usually get destroyed over the millennia, to survive.

"It's an organic object, that's why it's special," Gruber told LiveScience. "Normally when we excavate early Mesolithic sites we never get the organic material. But this site where we're excavating now is along the shoreline. The preservation is very good here – it's been lying in the bottom sediments and clay layers of the river, and it's been well preserved there."

The dildo-like object is about 4 inches (10.5 cm) long and 0.8 inches (2 cm) in diameter... Livescience.com / Traductor

Photo: This bone carving from Stone Age Sweden could be an ancient dildo, scientists say. Then again, it might just be a carving tool. Peter Zetterlund, Swedish National Heritage Board/Livescience.