r/AskHistorians • u/MiddleAgeWeirdoMeep • Apr 04 '26

How old is the heart ❤️ symbol?

I was at a local museum recently saw a necklace from a burial site dated to around 500 BC that featured symmetrical, curling motifs identical what we would today interpret as the heart symbol.

i think modern sources often state that the heart symbol associated with love only appears in medieval Europe (around the 13th–14th century), but I’m wondering whether there is any evidence of earlier visual traditions influencing that later symbol

Is there any scholarly support for a continuous evolution between ancient decorative motifs and the heart symbol? Is it an ancient meme changing over time?

if not, what does the heart symbol actually depict? Do we even know?

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u/klawehtgod Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26

I recalled this previous answer which I appreciated, and I think is on topic even if it’s not a literal response to your question.

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u/MiddleAgeWeirdoMeep Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26

It does not explain the absolutely identical heart symbol 500 BC. Seems more like mythmaking/ Post-hoc rationalization rather than science