Discovered by a British metal detectorist, an old Roman penis pendant

A penis pendant in sterling silver of this quality is quite rare.

Recently, a metal detectorist discovered a silver penis-shaped pendant in Kent, England. It was likely worn around the neck 1,800 years ago to protect a person from misfortune.

According to Marcus Terentius Varro (who lived from 116 BC to 27 B.C.) and Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23–79), the phallus and depictions of it could safeguard a person from bad luck in ancient Roman mythologies. Many phallic representations are found throughout the Roman Empire, and many experts believe they were made to ward off bad luck.

The amulet, another name for the pendant, is about 3.1 centimetres long and has a small ring at the top through which a necklace can be threaded. It dated from between 42 and 410 A.D. when the Romans ruled England.

A discoveries liaison officer with the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) said in a report on the artefact that similar amulets in the shape of a penis were common in Roman Britain. Still, they were typically made of copper-alloy rather than silver like the one from Kent.

"Silver may have been regarded to increase the phallus' defensive abilities because it is a higher-quality metal than copper-alloy," Rogerson told Live Science in an email. Children were safeguarded by apotropaic devices, which have the power to stop evil. Archaeological evidence reveals that Roman soldiers in Britain used these devices frequently.

Cyril Dumas, a scholar at Musée Yves Brayer who has studied and written about these objects, claimed that Roman men, women, children, and even animals wore pendants like this to fend off the so-called evil eye. The 'evil eye,' a personification of bad luck, is countered by this amulet, which Dumas explained to Live Science by email.

A higher-quality piece of jewelry may have been commissioned or purchased by a person who could afford it. For numerous reasons, the wearer could afford silver, and the pendant became an object of the show, says Rob Collins, a project manager and research coordinator at Newcastle University's School of History, Classics and Archaeology, in an email to Live Science. Aside from its magical properties, I believe that silver is also associated with supernatural associations," Collins, who has written extensively about artefacts like this one, said.

It was discovered on December 31, 2020, by metal detectorist Wendy Thompson, who notified the Portable Antiquities Scheme, an initiative sponsored jointly by the British Museum and the National Museum Wales to keep tabs on metal detectorists' finds. U.K. law requires the artefact to undergo the treasure process before it can be placed in a British museum collection.

Article source : https://www.livescience.com/roman-penis-pendant-found-uk

Image source : https://pixabay.com/id/photos/bullion-perak-bar-batang-perak-932218/

# A metal detectorist in the United Kingdom discovers an old Roman penis pendant

# British metal detectorist discovers Roman penis pendant

# A metal detectorist in the UK found a penis pendant from the Roman era.