In all great writings, such as literature and song lyrics, the writer often associates certain emotions with body parts. If a person sees a crush, they may feel ”butterflies in their stomach.” If a person is experiencing a moment of pure happiness, they may say that their ”heart is full.” The same can be said if the person is experiencing heartbreak or a “churning in their stomach” if they’re feeling nervous or angry.
But what if someone said that their “liver was full” or that they felt “anger in their feet?” Emotions and the body are nothing new, but they may have felt different for ancient humans like the Ancient Mesopotamians.
After analyzing ancient cuneiform writings, an international research team believes that earlier humans may have felt emotions differently than we do today. These findings, published in the journal iScience, could indicate how our emotions and feelings evolve over time.
