Admire The 3000-Year-Old Condom Of The Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun: Archaeologists Are Amazed

When Tutankhamun’s tomb was first discovered in 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter was stunned by the astonishing array of grave goods – more than 5,000 artifacts were left for the boy king to use in his afterlife. But amongst all the gold, silver, ebony, ivory , precious jewelry, weapons, furniture, fine linen and rare perfumes, a small piece of cloth caught the eyes of the experts; it was King Tut’s condom and, apparently, it was deemed essential for him to take into eternity.

Tutankhamun’s condom, which contained traces of his DNA, consisted of a sheath made of fine linen, soaked in olive oil, and attached to a string that would have tied around his waist. Dated to 1350 BC, it is the oldest known condom in existence. If the condom was used for contraceptive, rather than ritual purposes or the prevention of disease, it is unlikely to have been very effective. Indeed, the remains of two fetuses were also found in his tomb, and genetic testing revealed King Tut was the father.

The ancient Egyptians had other methods of contraception too. The Kahun Medical Papyrus (known also as the Gynaecological Papyrus), which has been dated to around 1825 BC, recommends the use of a mixture of crocodile dung and some other (now unknown) ingredients as a contraceptive. This mixture would then be formed into a pessary. According to one hypothesis, the dung of crocodiles is alkaline in nature, thus acting as a spermicide.

The Egyptians may have been among the first civilizations to use condoms, but others soon followed. In ancient Rome, condoms were made from linen and animal intestine or bladder. The ancient Chinese fashioned sheaths from silk paper soaked in oil. In Japan, they used tortoise shell or animal horn that was used to cover the glans only. The archaic Djukas tribe of New Guinea had a female condom made from a specific plant. Muslims and Jews during the Middle Ages covered the penis in tar or soaked it in onion juice.

When the first well-documented outbreak of the Sєxually transmitted disease syphilis occurred in the 15th century among French troops, the need for something to protect against disease became more essential, and linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution were widely adopted. In addition to linen, some condoms during the Renaissance were made out of animal intestines or bladder. The condom was revolutionized in the early 19th century with the introduction of rubber. By 1850, several rubber companies began the mᴀss production of condoms, and the rest is history.

Related Posts

The Painted Lodges of the Great Plains – Archaeological Insight into the Tipi Cultures of North America (Late 19th–Early 20th Century)

Discovered through extensive documentation and preservation efforts between 1890 and 1910, the series of painted lodges depicted in historical pH๏τographs—representing tribes such as the Crow, Lakota, Arapaho,…

The Giants Beneath Our Feet — Unearthing the Skull of the Forgotten тιтans

Introduction: The Discovery That Shook the Earth In the summer of 2021, a team of archaeologists from the Eurasian Insтιтute of Prehistoric Studies stumbled upon what may…

The Stone That Remembered the Sky — Ancient Evidence of Cosmic Visitors

High in the windswept plains of Tigray, northern Ethiopia, stands an ancient monolith known locally as The Fire Stone of the Sky. Carbon-dating and geological analysis place…

The Enigmatic Discovery on Everest – A Century-Old Mystery Resurfaces

In the shadow of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, an extraordinary claim has begun circulating once more—one that ties together lost expeditions, hidden technology, and mankind’s…

The Sumerian Star Map – Echoes of the Cosmos from the Dawn of Civilization

Over six millennia ago, in the fertile plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Sumerians built the first known cities in human history—Uruk, Eridu, Lagash, and…

The Enigma of Silbury Hill – Britain’s Timeless Monument of Earth and Mystery

Rising from the Wiltshire countryside like a green spiral of forgotten purpose, Silbury Hill stands as one of the most extraordinary prehistoric monuments in Europe. Located near…