This 1st-Century AD amulet of an erect penis designed to ward off the ‘evil eye’ has been accidentally discovered by divers off the Spanish Costas.
The phallic good-luck charm was discovered by chance by members of a diving club off the coast of Mazarron in the south-eastern Spanish autonomous community of Murcia.
According to reports, the unnamed diver who found the artefact was looking for a ring that fell off his finger when he happened across the Roman-era object.
The ancient amulet was handed to archaeologists who claimed it was symbolic and used for banishing the ‘Evil Eye’, a curse or legend believed to be cast by a malevolent glare.
After an initial examination, archaeologist Juan Pinedo said that the phallic amulet dates back to the 1st Century AD and was probably worn by a woman or child for protection.
Pinedo told Central European News (CEN) that the piece is “a phallic amulet used in 1st Century AD, there are many that were used during the Roman Empire, of bronze or iron, used for the Evil Eye.
“It can also be a symbol of fertility.”
He added: “It is still unknown which materials it is made from because it is still too dirty.”
“In Mazarron, there is a lot of underwater archaeological sites of the Roman epoch, if there is a winter storm a lot of things get moved.
“It is still not known how it ended in the sea, but since the neck chain is broken, it probably fell into the water.”
The ancient penis charm has not yet been fully examined and needs to undergo a restoration process, according to reports.
Although experts have yet to establish which materials it is made from, they said that it appears to have elements of gold used in its production.
The item is currently being studied at the Archaeological Museum and Roman Salting Factory in Murcia.
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Story By: Angjela Trajkovska, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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