Roman ‘intercourse toy’ longer than common todger could possibly be UK’s oldest – and most used

Boffins reckon they have found Britain’s oldest sex toy, a 2,000-year-old wooden artefact shaped liked a penis which showed signs of repeated use.

The object was actually discovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda in Northumberland in 1992 but was initially thought to be a darning tool for sewing.

Now, new analysis by experts at Newcastle University and University College Dublin suggests it could actually be a 6.3-inch dildo.

READ MORE: Gun-toting sex doll in sweaty vest and ‘pick your own size’ penis is site’s best seller

Click for more of the latest news from across the world from the Daily Star.

Dr Rob Collins, one of the authors of the study, said in February last year: “If the object is a sex toy, we believe it could be the oldest example from Britain.’

“The size of the phallus and the fact that it was carved from wood raises a number of questions to its use,” Dr Collins added.

However, despite the excitement, the expert did caveat the discovery with the fact that the object could be merely a willy-shaped good luck charm.

“We cannot be certain of its intended use, in contrast to most other phallic objects that make symbolic use of that shape for a clear function, like a good luck charm,” he said.

However, in a paper published in the journal Antiquity, the team revealed the ends of the penis were noticeably smoother than the rest of it, suggesting it had come into contact with something over and over again.

Researchers did admit there could be other explanations for this – with the device possibly used as a pestle.

A third possibility is that it was a penis slotted into a statue which passers-by would touch for good luck.

Barbara Birley, Curator at the Vindolanda Trust, said: “The wooden phallus may well be currently unique in its survival from this time, but it is unlikely to have been the only one of its kind used at the site, along the frontier, or indeed in Roman Britain.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.