Dolls have a long-standing relationship with humanity and have been present in many ways in history, so you can imagine that with these many years accompanying us, they contain a series of super interesting curiosities. Did you know that there are dolls that were created to be worshiped as gods? Today we are going to go through a little of the history of dolls with 9 curiosities that you probably didn't know about them.

1. It is the oldest toy found to date

This is what is believed with the archaeological evidence found so far. The first dolls were created in ancient civilizations of Rome, Greece and Egypt , with bones, clay and ivory. They already existed by the 2nd century AD and by 200 BC. C. it is known that there were more elaborate dolls, with removable parts and accessories such as clothing or with mobile limbs. How do you know this? Thanks to the stories written around these times, by important scholars of the date, there is also tangible evidence such as Roman tombs of children next to their toys.

Boys and girls used them to play along with rag dolls and stuffed animals, although unfortunately no physical evidence has been found of this toy format because it is not a material that survives the passage of time. It is known that, just like today, the play dynamics ranged from putting "fashionable" clothes on the dolls, imitating adult behaviors and even imagining that they were their friends!

An ancient Roman and Greek belief used to urge, in fact, that boys and girls dedicate their dolls to the gods and goddesses of the time when they reached puberty, as a sign of respect.

2. Many dolls had spiritual purposes

The first traditional dolls did not have a defined line as to whether their use was for children or also for purposes of rituals and religious activities. In some cultures, little ones were given dolls formerly used in spiritual contexts, while on other occasions some dolls were considered to possess "high spiritual power" that could be dangerous for a child's hands. What was the intention of these situations? Well, this custom often carried a high value of cultural learning, since it instilled ethical and religious values ​​through play. Sometimes both in childhood and adulthood, dolls are given a "protecting" status, like a spiritual guide.

For African culture this has been much more accentuated, even today. The dolls are created by hand and are passed from generation to generation, from mother to daughter and so on. The high mystical, cultural and entertaining power given to dolls in Africa means that dolls are seen more as an important object for the entire community than just another "toy" that is exclusive for boys and girls.

3. Until the mid-19th century, baby dolls were not common.

Until modern Europe it was quite unusual to see dolls shaped like babies and instead these mostly represented adults. What changed? Surprisingly, an opposite change was pushed in the mid-19th century as the industrial age developed. Thus, at the end of the 19th century the most abundant were baby dolls, delicately made with porcelain or wax and with very realistic appearances, although hardly as realistic as ours. Reborn dolls .

4. Dolls have always been for boys and girls

That's how it is! As we have already seen above, there have already been many cultures where dolls were important in one way or another for girls, boys and adults, which proves that gender stereotypes are changing and, above all, they build a limited reality for everyone. and all. What does this mean? Well, for example, action figures can be for girls in the same way that baby dolls could be very nice for boys. The little ones will not differentiate between the social roles of feminine and masculine because this artificial differentiation of society is not natural.

You already know that in Fun Surprises We have a great diversity among our toys and nothing happens if they are used by an "older" boy, a mother or a baby. You just have to enjoy the toys! Without distinction of gender or age .

5. They are therapeutic toys

Continuing with the previous point and as we have already talked about in our blog, dolls have incredible benefits for the human mind beyond adulthood. Have you noticed that our pets continue to be playful even long after they are babies? Among humans this does not change but it is more subtle: video games, role-playing games, sports and even "serialized" and collectible dolls for adults, etc. are used.

And playing with dolls specifically is today used for some people who need to reconnect with their inner child or become functional in society again.

As? Simple: it is part of treatments for Alzheimer's (helps remember and connect with family members), for depression or anxiety (relaxes patients), or for mothers who for some reason or another no longer have contact with their baby (for example , has grown) and, to better manage their transition to this new stage, they play with baby dolls to heal their needs. For this last purpose, the use of dolls is widely known. Reborn , which are identical to real babies.

6. There are hospitals for them!

Yes, and they are all over the world. In reality, so-called doll hospitals specialize in restoring old or otherwise damaged dolls, and their majority clients are older adults. These artisan workshops have the purpose of recovering that image of yesteryear of such dolls and thus satisfy their owners, who see in them a high artistic, financial, nostalgic or cultural.

And that's all for today! We hope you have enjoyed these curiosities. Tell us in the comments what curiosity caught your attention the most and, if you liked the article, share it on your social networks.