The History of Dildos

Humans have been making phallic-shaped objects for thousands of years, but figuring out whether those objects were actually used for sexual pleasure is a little more complicated. One of the oldest and most intriguing examples was discovered in Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm, Germany. Dating back roughly 28,000 to 30,000 years, the carefully shaped stone object is often discussed as a possible early representation of a penis. That's tens of thousands of years before written history even began.

Researchers from the University of Tübingen announced the discovery in 2005. Made from a fine-grained stone called siltstone, the object was pieced back together from 14 fragments and has a smooth, polished surface consistent with repeated handling. It's an incredible find, but there's still one big question: What was it actually used for?

Its shape certainly invites speculation, but archaeologists have also identified marks consistent with using the stone as a tool for working flint. Some researchers consider a symbolic or sexual purpose a plausible explanation, while others point out that its shape alone doesn't prove it was used as a sex toy. In other words, it may have been an early dildo, but we can't say that with certainty.

The takeaway? A human-made object with a distinctly phallic shape may date back nearly 30,000 years, making it one of the oldest serious candidates for this kind of artifact. Whether it was a practical tool, a symbolic object, or something used for sexual pleasure remains an archaeological mystery and that's part of what makes its history so fascinating.

By the time written records catch up, dildos appear clearly and without much embarrassment. Classical Greek writers used the word olisbos for a leather dildo, and the city of Miletus, on the coast of what is now Turkey, had a documented reputation across the ancient Mediterranean for making and trading them. In Aristophanes's comedy Lysistrata (411 BCE), characters joke about "eight-fingered" leather dildos imported from Miletus, a line that only lands as a joke because audiences already knew exactly what the merchants of Miletus were known for.

A few generations later, the poet Herodas wrote Mime VI, a comic scene between two women, Metro and Koritto, in which Metro tries to track down who made a dildo that Koritto had lent to a friend. Koritto eventually names the maker, a craftsman called Kerdon who also worked as a cobbler. Diotima, a nonprofit classics-translation project, hosts a direct translation of that scene, showing exactly how the two women discuss the dildo and its maker in their own words rather than in paraphrase.

The word "dildo" took a more winding route into English. Older explanations liked to trace it to a Latin or Italian root, but the Oxford English Dictionary's third edition, revised in 2018, now attributes it to nonsense refrain syllables, playful filler words that showed up in early-modern English ballads, similar to "hey diddle diddle." An Oxford University Press etymology essay argues against the older Italian theory on phonological grounds and traces that same ballad refrain, "dildo-lee, dildo-doe," into Shakespeare. The word's one appearance in the Shakespeare canon comes in The Winter's Tale, where a servant describes a peddler's wares as including songs "with such delicate burthens of dildos and fadings."

About a century later, the word did double duty as political satire. "Signior Dildo," a poem usually attributed to the Earl of Rochester and circulated from late 1673, used a fictional "noble Italian, Signior Dildo" as a running joke about England's unpopular Catholic royal match, Mary of Modena's marriage to James, Duke of York. It wasn't printed until 1703, but it had already done its work as gossip for decades. A fully annotated edition of the poem preserves that context. From a Greek comedy to an English satire, that willingness to joke about dildos in print is part of why the word still carries a wink today.

Ancient dildos were made from whatever held a shape and survived regular handling: carved stone in prehistoric Europe, tanned leather in classical Greece. Today's options go a lot further than that. Adam & Eve's current dildo selection spans several established categories, a clear sign of how far materials and designs have diversified since those early leather and stone pieces.

Realistic dildos are shaped to resemble the human body in detail, a style some people prefer for its familiar look and feel. You can browse realistic dildos to see what that category includes. G-Spot dildos use a curved or angled shape that can help target a specific spot inside the body, and the G-spot dildo category covers several takes on that curve. Glass dildos are made from smooth, rigid glass, a material that had no equivalent in any ancient version of this object, and the glass dildo category reflects that firmer, cooler feel. Vibrating dildos add motorized vibration to the traditional dildo shape, and the vibrating dildo category is built around that combination.

Beyond these, the category also includes double dildos, designed for two points of use at once, giant dildos sized well past anything in the archaeological or literary record, and anal dildos shaped for that specific purpose. None of these categories map onto a single "best" version of a dildo. They exist because bodies, preferences, and reasons for using one vary, and modern materials like silicone, glass, and metal now offer choices that leather and stone simply could not.

Whether you're curious about trying a dildo for the first time or exploring something new, comfort comes down to finding what works for you. Take your time, start slowly, and use plenty of lubricant to help reduce friction. There's no need to rush or push past anything that doesn't feel comfortable.

A little product know-how helps, too. Different dildo materials have different care requirements, so check the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and lubricant compatibility. Clean your toy before and after use, and if you share it with a partner or switch between types of contact, follow appropriate cleaning guidance and use a fresh condom on the toy when recommended.

And remember, there's no single right way to enjoy a dildo. Some people prefer solo exploration, while others enjoy incorporating one into partnered intimacy. It's all about personal preference, feeling comfortable, and choosing what works for you.

You've probably seen claims that archaeologists have discovered thousands of phallic-shaped objects from the Ice Age. The reality is a little more complicated. Many of these claims mix up possible sexual artifacts with a different category of prehistoric objects known as perforated batons.

Typically made from bone or antler, these elongated objects have one or more holes near one end. Their exact purpose has been debated for generations, but the British Museum's collection notes describe complete batons as tools and weapons, while acknowledging that their possible use as symbols of authority remains a topic of discussion.

More recent research has added to our understanding. A 2019 study of three perforated batons from Gough's Cave in England, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, found evidence of repeated use consistent with practical tasks, potentially involving rope. Although researchers continue to debate the function of these artifacts, their findings show why it's important not to assume that an unusual shape automatically means an object was used for sexual pleasure.

So, were thousands of Ice Age dildos discovered around the world? That's not what the evidence establishes. The Hohle Fels artifact discussed earlier remains one of the best-known candidates for a prehistoric object with a possible sexual purpose, although its original function is still uncertain. The more accurate story is that prehistoric people made a variety of intriguing objects, and archaeologists are still working to understand what they were used for.

From a debated prehistoric object to a word that still gets a grin in a crowded room, the history of dildos is really the history of people building tools for pleasure out of whatever materials their era offered: stone, leather, glass, and now motorized designs.

When you're ready to see where that history has landed, Adam & Eve's dildo sex toys collection brings together today's categories, from realistic and G-Spot designs to glass, vibrating, double, giant, and anal options, so you can compare materials and styles at your own pace.