It was believed that the earliest reference to romantic kissing was found in South Asian texts written around 1500 BC. However, recent studies have revealed that kissing was known to humankind long before that.
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New discoveries indicate that the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians recorded their myths and laws on clay tablets using cuneiform writing.
One of these texts, dating back to around 2500 BC, contains a description of this practice, depicting a romantic scene between deities, including a kiss.
There are also later accounts of ordinary people expressing a strong desire to hug and kiss their partners. These words sound remarkably modern, despite being written some four thousand years ago.
Interestingly, long before the Sumerians invented writing, someone carved a calcite tablet near present-day Bethlehem, dating back approximately 11,000 years, depicting two figures embracing, their arms and legs intertwined, their heads touching, likely in a kiss. It is believed to be one of the oldest known depictions of a couple in lovemaking.
Could this be the oldest surviving depiction of a kiss? Perhaps. But the sculpture is a replica, lacking facial details, making it impossible to accurately distinguish a kiss from other forms of intimate communication. It's also difficult to determine precisely what the sculptor intended. Perhaps he celebrated intimacy, symbolized fertility, or depicted a mythological scene.
Researchers believe that kissing did not originate in one region of the world. Most likely, this gesture was common in many ancient civilizations for thousands of years. Interestingly, in addition to expressing affection, ancient peoples used this gesture for legal purposes. A document dating back to 1800 BC was discovered in which a woman formally forbade her former lover from having sex with her or kissing her.
In addition, scientists have discovered a medical aspect to this custom. Ancient Babylonian physicians described a condition affecting the mouth and throat, with symptoms remarkably similar to the modern herpes virus. Experts believe that the kissing habit may have contributed to the spread of infection even at the dawn of civilization.
Where and when was the first kiss observed?
The earliest surviving written descriptions of romantic kissing date back to around 2600–2500 BCE and are associated with Mesopotamia. However, these accounts do not reveal who first practiced it, where it occurred, or even which civilization pioneered the practice. This behavior may have existed for thousands of years before the earliest surviving records, and its evolutionary origins may even extend further back.
It's generally unknown when the first kiss occurred, or whether it was between two humans or members of another species. But what's fascinating is this: civilizations have vanished, languages have disappeared, and cities have been destroyed, yet some kisses, moments of intimacy, have been preserved in archaeological discoveries. They have been preserved for future generations to discover and understand.
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