1,700-Year-Old Penis Graffiti Discovered in Ancient Roman Fort
Vindolanda is an ancient Roman fort in Northern England that dates back to the reign of emperor Hadrian in the second century CE. When a team of researchers and volunteers were excavating the site last month, a retired biochemist from South Wales named Dylan Herbert unearthed a stone carved with a phallus and an inscription that reads “SECVNDINVS CACOR.” According to specialists in Roman epigraphy, the stone’s inscription translates to “Secundinus cacator” aka “Secundinus, the shitter.” This is the 14th phallic carving unearthed at this site, the highest number of ancient penis graffiti found at any one spot in Vindolanda. The discovery gives historians a greater sense of how third-century citizens lived their lives while affirming mankind’s enduring creation of phallic imagery. Learn more at Hyperallergic.
Image courtesy of the Vindolanda Charitable Trust
Via hyperallergic.com link opens in a new window
