A 250-year-old sex toy has been found by archaeologists during a dig of an ancient toilet in Poland . The eight-inch leather dildo with a wooden head was discovered during an excavation at an old school of swordsmanship in the coastal city of Gdansk . A spokesman for the Regional Office for the Protection of Monuments in Gdansk , said : 'It was found in the latrine and dates back to the second half of the 18th century . Relic : The eight-inch , 250-year-old sex toy was found during a dig at the city of Gdansk in Poland , pictured . 'It is quite thick and rather large , made of leather and filled with bristles , and has a wooden tip that has preserved in excellent condition . It was probably dropped by someone in the toilet . 'Whether that was by accident or on purpose is anyone 's guess though . ' Archaeologists at the site earlier discovered old swords leading them to suspect that the place was once a school of swordsmanship . The artifact has now been taken away for preservation work . Historical : The 'quite thick ' and 'rather large ' sex toy was discovered during an excavation of ancient toilets in Gdansk , Poland . Dildos have been found in some form throughout history , with Upper Palaeolithic artefacts previously discovered being said to be likely used for sexual pleasure . For thousands of years , phallic objects have been used symbolically as a means to boost fertility and ward off evil spirits - but their use as sexual aids has a long history , too . A 28,000-year-old phallus recently found in Germany is quoted as being the oldest known 'sex toy ' ever found . While phalluses made from stone , wood , leather and even camel dung have all be found during excavations , or referenced throughout historical text and images . And an Austrian museum even has the world 's oldest condom on display together with four other condom fragments dated from around 1650 . These were found in a toilet at Dudley Castle in England .
The centuries - old toy was made from ivory with a wooden handle . It was found during excavation of an ancient toilet in Gdansk . archaeologists also discovered swords during the excavations .