Historian Exhibits Ice-Age Phallus

An ice-age phallus found in the south-western German state of Baden-Württemberg was shown to the public for the first time on Monday. Scientists reconstructed the object from 14 fragments archeologists found in the nearby Hohe Fels cave. The 19-cm (7.5-inch) long, anthracite-colored, hand-crafted stone is thought to be 28,000 years old. Historian Nicholas Conard said the phallus was used as a tool as well as a symbol of the penis and that less than 10 such phalli exist in Europe. The artifact is on show at the Blaubeuren Museum for Prehistory until January 2006. The Hohe Fels cave is one of Europe's most important archeological sites. Both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens are thought to have lived there.