Sexualidad y erotismo en la Prehistoria

When we study Palaeolithic artistic expressions that have survived to date in Europe we can see that human representations are relatively rare but they do show evidence the anthropomorphic thinking of our ancestors and also their interest in sexual characters. Both animal and human coitus and pregnancy have been occasionally depicted throughout the Upper Palaeolithic. Some sanctuaries with cave wall art could have been used to teach reproduction tactics to the initiate, and show that these men and women were concerned about reproduction, erotism and sexuality. It is generally accepted that Upper Palaeolithic society was matriarchal and that man was unconscious of his role in impregnation and paternity. The places we describe provide evidence that this interpretation is unrealistic and that both men and women were conscious of their role in procreation, and understood fertility and the sexual life of partners. Besides, copulation, pregnancy and childbirth were perfectly sequenced in their minds. There is also evidence to believe that procreation and sexuality were appropriately distinguished because highly erotic representations and examples of masturbation or even bestialism have also been documented.