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A Brief History of Prostitution
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A Brief History of Prostitution

Prostitution is often referred to as "the world's oldest profession." While the trade was actually superceded by hunting and farming, it has been around far longer than most people might realize.

One of the earliest known civilizations to refer to prostitution was the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia, which is modern Iraq. They referred to prostitutes as kar.kid. According to the book The Origin of Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia by Gerda Lerner, the Sumerians mention prostitution as a profession in a list that dates back to ca. 2400 B.C. The assumption is that prostitution was connected to a temple service, Lerner wrote.

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