A sex toy has been discovered at a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall.
A Roman sex toy has been found at Hadrian's Wall (c) The Vindolanda Trust
Experts believe that the 2nd century wooden object, which was found in a ditch at Vindolanda, could be the earliest example of a wooden phallus found anywhere in the ex-Roman empire.
The team from Newcastle University and University College Dublin initially suspected that the object was a sewing tool but now believe it may have been used for intimate purposes as they found both ends were noticeably smoother - indicating repeated use over time.
However, they have not ruled out the possibility of the item being a good luck symbol or a tool to grind ingredients.
Dr. Rob Collins - a senior lecturer in archaeology at Newcastle University - said: "We know that the ancient Romans and Greeks used sexual implements - this object from Vindolanda could be an example of one."