In honor of the upcoming February 14 Valentine's Day, I'm starting on series of 3 Valentine's Day blogs. And what better place to start than the history of the romantic kiss.
New research into Ancient Mesopotamia suggests people kissed romantically 4500 years ago, 1000 years earlier than previously believed. The article, published in Science, reveals kissing did not originate in one region. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Oxford revealed their findings on the ancient history of kissing after discovering drawings on clay tablets (see picture above) and other materials from early Mesopotamian societies. Ancient Mesopotamia is considered to be roughly the land that is now modern-day Iraq and Syria.
It was previously believed the earliest evidence of romantic lip kissing in humans originated in southern Asia 3500 years ago then spread to other regions. The new research challenges these theories and suggests kissing was common across many different regions and cultures, starting much earlier.
In examining the clay tablets written in cuneiform script, the scientists noted the Akkadian language divided kissing into two groups: "friendly and familial affection" and "erotic action." Thousands of these clay tablets have survived to this day. They contain clear examples that kissing was considered a part of romantic intimacy in ancient times, just as kissing could be part of friendships and family members' relations.
Kissing should not be regarded as a custom that originated exclusively in any single region and spread from there. It appears to have been practiced in multiple ancient cultures over several millennia. While the exact origins of romantic kissing remain uncertain, the study said there is some evidence that it may have occurred even before the advent of writing.
Research into bonobos and chimpanzees, the closest living relatives to humans, has shown both species engage in kissing, which may suggest the practice of kissing is a fundamental behavior in humans, explaining why it can be found across cultures. The researchers also examined sexually-transmitted diseases in early kissing and its unintentional role in the transmission of herpes simplex virus 1, also known as cold sores. This cannot be taken entirely at face value due to the influence of certain religious and cultural beliefs.
1 comment:
Even the way dogs and cats will lick your hand or nibble fingers as a sign of affection is interesting. Maybe because they live so closely with people and see us kissing? Or it's just innate in all of us.
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