Given the amount of sexual imagery in ancient Roman culture and the belief that phalluses protected against bad luck, the 'darning tool' very well could have been misidentified. However, a physical example hasn't been found until now.
To add to that, this is also the first life-size phallus found. In deciding that it may have been a sex toy after all, Collins said, "We have had to cast our nets wide in thinking what would a six-and-a-half-inch wooden carving of a phallus be used for."
It may have been seen as a darning tool due to the lack of previous phalluses, and also due to its location. Instead of in the midst of a hub of civilisation, it was dug up in a ditch in Vindolanda, Hexham, next to clothes, some other wooden items, and craft scraps. Accompanied by its discovery year of 1992, Collins theorised that "Maybe it was somebody uncomfortable with it or didn’t think the Romans would do such silly things."
A secondary idea about the object was that it was a pestle. A contributing factor to this concept and the dildo hypothesis was that it seemed to have endured use from both ends, and also its condition suggests that it was usually kept indoors.
Regardless of the actual purpose of the darning tool/phallus/pestle, this has been an incredible discovery for researchers
Regardless of the actual purpose of the darning tool/phallus/pestle, this has been an incredible discovery for researchers. Considering that the object was made of wood, which tends not to survive well in archaeology, it is a precious find. Sands notes, "Wooden objects would have been commonplace in the ancient world, but only survive in very particular conditions." Vindolanda Trust curator Barbara Birley said, "This rediscovery shows the real legacy value of having such an incredible collection of material from one site and being able to reassess that material."
The object, now described as the Vindolanda phallus, is on display at their museum. Hopefully, this discovery spurs researchers to look at any finds in a new light, touch wood!