Quote:
Originally Posted by Kashmir
Before someone got the bright idea that the intestine of some animal could serve as a sperm-shielding sleeve for a schlong during intercourse, having sex was kind of a big deal. Historically, few socially acceptable actions had bigger consequences than sex. Actually, I can't think of any.
Being naked with another person, and poking, enveloping, or grinding on them is pretty much the most intimate interaction that two people can have with one another. This crosses all cultures, to my knowledge. It's not just a construct of the puritanical, buzz-kill Abrahamic religions.
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Even today, with modern substitutes for animal parts, it is still a big deal in terms of possible physical consequences because, well, condos.
I imagine it was already a big deal even in pre-civilization, having ramifications concerning who knows, status, alliances, livestock, or axe heads or something. I am imagining that before permanent settlements, the delay between puberty and culturally sanctioned pairing would have been shorter, since most of the reasons for the delay are economic in more modern societies, so far as I can determine. That is just speculation on my part though.
Based on some offhand googling, even in relatively recent times there has been wide variation in the waiting period.