World's oldest condom

The Site of the Oldest Excavated Condom: Dudley Castle, West Midlands, England.

In the mid 1980's brave archaeologists fishing about in the cesspit of Dudley Castle fingered some pretty amazing artifacts: five scraps of animal membrane were gently lifted from the muck. Those little scraps, resembling thin leather, were later recognized as condom fragments dating between 1642 and 1647. Later, five more condoms were found, nestled one inside the other.

They were probably made from pig or sheep intestine. They were prepared by cleaning, soaking and stretching into shape. This was not an easy task, and these things were thought to be reusable, if for no reason other than their probable cost.

To show you what I mean, here is a mid-19th century recipe for condoms:

"Take the caecum of the sheep; soak it first in water, turn it on both sides, then repeat the operation in a weak ley (solution) of soda, which must be changed every four or five hours, for five or six successive times; then remove the mucous membrane with the nail; sulphur, wash in clean water, and then in soap and water; rinse, inflate and dry. Next cut it to the required length and attach a piece of ribbon to the open end. Used to prevent infection or pregnancy." United States Practical Receipt Book, p. 87 quoted from Reay Tannahill, Sex in History p. 411.