Image: Arbore Arqueoloxía

Archaeologists have discovered a six-inch-long stone statue of a penis that may have been used to sharpen swords during bloody class conflicts that erupted more than 500 years ago in what is now northwest Spain. 

The stone penis was uncovered on May 19 by researchers with Arbore Arqueoloxía, a cooperative that offers archaeological and restoration services, according to the team’s Facebook page. The archaeologists spotted the distinctive artifact during excavations of the Tower of Meira, a Medieval fortress that was destroyed in 1476 and now lies in ruins at the Ría de Vigo estuary in Galicia, Spain.

The Tower of Meira was just one of dozens of castles and forts that were destroyed during the Irmandiño revolts, a series of violent popular uprisings by peasants against the ruling Galician nobility that occurred in the 15th century. 

“Far from being an offensive or obscene element, in Roman times these representations did not have the exclusively erotic connotation that some currently erroneously attribute to them,” Arbore Aqueoloxía said in a statement. “The phallus was an object of veneration and was given a magical-religious cult. The phallic symbol is represented on lamps, masks, pendants and rings, walls of houses, pavement of a street, corners, balconies, doors, baths or walls. Always preserving its character as a collective protector from potential evils and dangers.”

During their three years working at the site, the researchers have unearthed pottery and other intriguing artifacts, but the stone penis is in a class all its own, according to National Geographic. The penis is marked by the wear of many blades, suggesting that it was primarily used as a sharpening stone. 

The object being found in the rubble of a violent class uprising is notable, researchers say. "It is an interesting object because it is unusual and because it materializes the symbolic association between violence, weapons, and masculinity, an association that we know existed in the Middle Ages and that is present in our culture today." Darío Peña-Pascual, an archaeologist with Arbore Arqueoloxía, told Live Science.

Sharpening stones, or whetstones, were everyday items in Medieval Europe and are found in many archaeological sites. However, the deliberately phallic sculpting of this stone hints that it served both a functional and symbolic role to whomever who created and used it. Phallic representations were common in the Medieval era, and this stone may have been regarded as a symbol of reverence and protection.

The stone penis offers a vivid glimpse of a pivotal era that was rocked by fierce social enmities and devastating battles. The Arbore Arqueoloxía team hopes to learn more about the context in which it was made, and the people who once honed their weapons on it, during their continued excavations at the fortress ruins.

“What secrets does Torre de Meira hold? What function did this structure really have? Are we excavating a simple watchtower or was it really a small castle with permanent occupation?” the group said in a statement.