# This Just In! Cavemen Liked the Nookie! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379 "2007-05-16T22:38:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/1 "2007-05-16T22:38:53Z")
[I’m shocked! Shocked I say!](http://news.stonepages.com/#2367) > [@](#): > > New research into Stone Age humans has argued that, far from having intercourse simply to reproduce, they had sex for fun. Various sex practices were widespread in primitive societies as a way of building up cultural ties. According to the study, a 30,000-year-old statue of a naked woman - the Venus of Willendorf - and an equally ancient stone phallus found in a German cave, provide the earliest direct evidence that sex was about far more than babies. > Timothy Taylor, reader in archeology at Bradford University, reviewed evidence from dozens of archeological finds and scientific studies for his research. “The widespread lay belief that sex in the past was predominantly heterosexual and reproductive can be challenged,” said Taylor. He argues that monogamy only became established as hunter-gatherer societies took up agriculture and settled in houses, allowing the social roles of men and women to become more fixed. In other news, bears revealed to be Jewish and the Pope found to shit in the woods. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/2 "2007-05-16T22:46:48Z")
The Venus of Willendorf is being used as evidence of the horniness of cavemen? Really? It looks to have a lot more to do with having plenty to eat and popping out babies than getting it on to me, but hey, judge for yourself: http ://faculty.evansville.edu/rl29/art105/img/willendorf\_venus.jpg (No active link for this hot, hot, hot paleolithic action.) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/3 "2007-05-16T22:55:08Z")
> [@](#): > > “The widespread lay belief that sex in the past was predominantly heterosexual and reproductive can be challenged,” said Taylor. I had no idea that such a “widespread belief” existed. I always assumed it was a sexual free-for-all, personally. Why would cultural norms exist before culture itself? And of course they did it for fun. What animal only does it for reproduction OTHER than (a few weird) humans? How should Og and Grog even have been able to KNOW that sex was connected to reproduction? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/4 "2007-05-16T22:58:54Z")
Well, Og certainly would. I’m not so sure about Grog, there…_nudge nudge_ Then again, Og would almost certainly smash…so take that as you will. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/5 "2007-05-16T23:38:34Z")
> [@Timothy Taylor](#): > > By comparison with modern humans, apes have tiny male genitals, no female breasts and are hairy. But they are easily able to distinguish the sexes because males can weigh up to three times as much as females. Humans, by contrast, are far less easy to distinguish by size. Taylor says that prominent male genitals and female breasts developed to aid recognition of the opposite sex in creatures of similar size and shape. Well that makes perfect… huh?! Women have breasts, so men will be able to recognize them as female? Oh, brilliant work, Doctor Leakey. Fess up, Taylor; this little announcement is just your way of justifying the enormous porn downloads from work, isn’t it? So this is cutting-edge archaeology, is it? Sculptures of ancient naughty bits may indicate that prehistoric people might have regarded sex in much the same way as modern people. > [@](#): > > The widespread lay belief that sex in the past was predominantly heterosexual and reproductive can be challenged," said Taylor. That’s great. So we can finally say with some confidence that the depiction of prehistoric life in the comic strip “Alley Oop” is not supported by the modern archeological consensus. Turns out that “Reader in Archaeology” isn’t actually a faculty position at Bradford University-- Taylor just spends a lot of time hanging out in the department library. Face it: with a name like “Timothy Taylor,” you ought to be starring in a series of children’s books about your Amazing Adventures with your dog Rusty, not pretending to be a serious archaeologist. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/6 "2007-05-16T23:43:24Z")
Ah yes, nookie. So easy even a caveman can do it. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/7 "2007-05-16T23:44:22Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] Ah yes, nookie. So easy even a caveman can do it. [/QUOTE] No he can’t. They put his show on ABC, not HBO. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/8 "2007-05-17T00:35:46Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I had no idea that such a “widespread belief” existed. I always assumed it was a sexual free-for-all, personally. Why would cultural norms exist before culture itself? [/QUOTE] I always assumed it would have been an alpha male dominated activity, with most of the females in clan reserved for the most dominant male. Not that the second tier males wouldn’t occasionally be able to sneak a piece of the action, or work out their “frustrations” on one another. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/9 "2007-05-17T01:53:31Z")
Anyone else see _Quest For Fire_? I remember the scene where Ika introduces Naoh to oral sex. The look on his face basically says, _“We’ve been wasting our time looking for fire when we could have been doing this?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/10 "2007-05-17T07:39:07Z")
Am I the only one that looks at these stone ‘ceremonial phalluses’ and ‘ritual fertility statuette’ items and thinks “sex toy”? The Venus of Willendorf has a ribbed head. Ribbed. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/11 "2007-05-17T07:58:33Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Turns out that “Reader in Archaeology” isn’t actually a faculty position at Bradford University-- Taylor just spends a lot of time hanging out in the department library. Face it: with a name like “Timothy Taylor,” you ought to be starring in a series of children’s books about your Amazing Adventures with your dog Rusty, not pretending to be a serious archaeologist. [/QUOTE] Or running about with another couple of mad blokes on a bicycle built for three. I wonder if Timothy’s middle name is “Brooke”? 😉 I did read that some scientists (maybe) have speculated that the shape of the penis is intended to “scoop back” a predecessors sperm (long strokes, obviously), improving the _last_ male’s chances of fertilization (along with a bunch of spermatic tricks to win the race to the ova). From this, and the fact that men get aroused by images of other men having sex with woman, leads to the inescapable conclusion that males are actually hardwired for _sloppy seconds_ :eek: And FonF porn (for men) has the frisson that the male has no prior genetic competition. Si ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/12 "2007-05-20T14:14:48Z")
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth] I always assumed it would have been an alpha male dominated activity, with most of the females in clan reserved for the most dominant male. Not that the second tier males wouldn’t occasionally be able to sneak a piece of the action, or work out their “frustrations” on one another. [/QUOTE] I remember reading a genetic study of chimps in the wild where it was revealed that the alpha males _weren’t_ the daddies of most of the kids. It seems that they were so busy enforcing their alpha status that they didn’t have lots of time for nookie, so the females would make themselves available, ifyouknowwhatImean. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/13 "2007-05-20T15:12:21Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] I remember reading a genetic study of chimps in the wild where it was revealed that the alpha males _weren’t_ the daddies of most of the kids. It seems that they were so busy enforcing their alpha status that they didn’t have lots of time for nookie, so the females would make themselves available, ifyouknowwhatImean. [/QUOTE] Which makes sense from a vary-the-genepool POV. Donald Trump might want to keep this in mind. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/14 "2007-05-20T17:31:58Z")
Who the heck would think paleolithic folk were having sex _in order to_ have babies? Are they smoking jimson weed? Yeesh! Very very few people, ancient or modern, have sex for the conscious intentional purpose of making babies. And presumably a lower percentage the farther back in time you go. There must’ve been a time when the connection simply was not common knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/15 "2007-05-20T21:41:19Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] Who the heck would think paleolithic folk were having sex _in order to_ have babies? Are they smoking jimson weed? Yeesh! Very very few people, ancient or modern, have sex for the conscious intentional purpose of making babies. And presumably a lower percentage the farther back in time you go. There must’ve been a time when the connection simply was not common knowledge. [/QUOTE] Possibly what the article meant but didn’t get across clearly was that sex had personal/ social/ religious overtones beyond merely answering the call of hormones and the resultant side effect of children. In other words, a fuck was more than just a fuck. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/16 "2007-05-20T22:18:27Z")
It has been long suggested, most famously by Masters and Johnson, that humans have an enhanced sexuality as a result of evolutionary pressures. Since humans mature so late (in terms of being able to survive independent of patental care), survival for progeny depends much more on parental care and teamwork. Bears solve the problem by placing the burden entirely on the female, humans by establishing a bond between parents, enhanced by the positive reinforcement of good ol’, toe-curling sex. This would explain, for instance, the female human’s receptiveness to sex outside of actual fertility. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/17 "2007-05-21T05:23:38Z")
Hee hee… Masters/Johnson… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/18 "2007-05-21T16:21:47Z")
[QUOTE=CaerieD] They put his show on ABC, not HBO. [/QUOTE] The mind boggles at the possibilities of an uncensored sitcom about horny cavemen. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/19 "2007-05-21T17:40:18Z")
[QUOTE=CaerieD] The Venus of Willendorf is being used as evidence of the horniness of cavemen? Really? It looks to have a lot more to do with having plenty to eat and popping out babies than getting it on to me, but hey, judge for yourself: http ://faculty.evansville.edu/rl29/art105/img/willendorf\_venus.jpg (No active link for this hot, hot, hot paleolithic action.) [/QUOTE] The V of W has a lot in common with present-day cave drawings on restroom walls. She has huge breasts, she has a prominent vulva, and she lacks hands, feet, and a face. Cavemen had no photos of Vida Guerra, so one of them fashioned porn from available materials. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379/20 "2007-05-21T17:46:15Z")
[Caveman] Mmmm… Prehistoric camel toe. [/Caveman] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-just-in-cavemen-liked-the-nookie/404379.md?page=2)