Frisky Friday Top 5: Centuries of sex

There are college courses—and graduate degrees—devoted to human sexuality, so we won’t dare try to condense this vast subject into one little Frisky Friday. (As if we could.) But we will share five fascinating historical facts about sex, you know, to greet the weekend with a wink.

30,000 BC
That would be the Upper Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Neanderthals from this era used stone tools. They also painted images of people using dildos on themselves and others. So it looks like sex toys have been around longer than the wheel. (Speaking of tools and dildos, this modern tool scares us.)

800 BC
Olive oil is used for more than cooking. Ancient Greeks enjoyed it as lube and as a sexual aid. But don’t try this at home, Foxy Cleopatra. It’s not good for condoms, sex toys, or your juicebox. (Find out which lubes you should use.)

1200s
The Middle Ages had courtly love, punishments for doing anything but the missionary position, condoms made from animal bladders, and fashionable gigantic codpieces to bring attention to a man’s winky.

1400s
Holy guacamole. The Aztecs believed that avocados were sexually potent aphrodisiacs. So much so that virgins weren’t allowed to touch them. Their word for avocado was ahuacate, which was also the word for testicle. Why? Have you seen what an avocado looks like?

The 1960s
With the arrival of effective, affordable, and accessible birth control, women gained a new level of control over their bodies and their lives. And while the pill did not cause the sexual revolution, it certainly helped a lot of women enjoy it without the fear of pregnancy.

Know some juicy sex trivia from another era? Add to our list in the comments. We’d love to learn more.

See, history can be fun,
Bedsider

P.S. If you or any of your friends have a question about birth control, we totally have your answers.