Early humans felt emotions in unusual body parts compared to modern humans

From feeling butterflies in the stomach to experiencing a heavy heart, humans have long associated emotions with bodily sensations.

But have these expressions remained consistent throughout history?

A multidisciplinary research team explored this question by analyzing how ancient Mesopotamians, living in what is now modern-day Iraq, experienced emotions in their bodies.

The researchers studied over one million words of ancient Akkadian language texts, dating from 934-612 BCE.

These texts, inscribed on clay tablets in cuneiform script, offer a rare glimpse into the emotional landscape of one of humanity’s earliest civilizations.

Happiness in the liver

Professor Saana Svärd, an Assyriologist at the University of Helsinki led the project that highlighted the Mesopotamians’ understanding of anatomy – particularly the heart, liver, and lungs.

The team discovered that happiness was often associated with the liver, expressed through terms such as “open,” “shining,” or “full.”

“If you compare the ancient Mesopotamian bodily map of happiness with modern bodily maps, it is largely similar, with the exception of a notable glow in the liver,” said Juha Lahnakoski, a cognitive neuroscientist and visiting researcher at Aalto University.

This connection highlights a cultural and historical dimension to how emotions are linked to specific body parts.

Anger, love, and their bodily roots

Contrasts between modern and ancient emotional maps emerged in other emotions as well.

Anger, for instance, is typically felt in the upper body and hands by modern humans, while Mesopotamians reported feeling anger primarily in their feet, using descriptors like “heated” or “enraged.”

Love, on the other hand, appeared to share more similarities. Both modern and Mesopotamian expressions of love involve the heart, but the ancient humans also linked it closely to the liver and knees.

“It remains to be seen whether we can say something in the future about what kind of emotional experiences are typical for humans in general,” noted Svärd.

She also emphasized the importance of distinguishing between linguistic descriptions of emotions and their lived experiences, as modern body maps rely on self-reported experiences, while Mesopotamian maps are derived solely from textual evidence.

Linking emotions to body parts

Cuneiform writing in Mesopotamia was primarily a skill of scribes, and was accessible only to the elite. Despite this limitation, the clay tablets covered diverse topics, including prayers, literature, tax records, and sales documents.

The researchers’ innovative approach of linking emotions to body parts through linguistic analysis marks a first in the study of ancient texts.

“It could be a useful way to explore intercultural differences in the way we experience emotions,” said Svärd.

The findings contribute to ongoing discussions about the universality of human emotions and how cultural context shapes emotional expression.

Future research directions

For this project, the researchers utilized corpus linguistic methods developed at the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires (ANEE).

Next, the team plans to analyze 20th-century English texts and Finnish language data, thus expanding the scope of their exploration.

This research opens the door to deeper insights into how humans have historically experienced and expressed emotions.

By comparing ancient and modern emotional maps, the study not only highlights cultural nuances but also enriches our understanding of the timeless connection between emotions and the human body.

History of emotions and bodily sensations

The history of emotions reveals fascinating shifts in how different cultures conceptualized feelings.

In medieval Europe, emotions were often tied to the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile, which were thought to govern temperament and health.

Ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle believed emotions arose from a mix of bodily sensations and rational thought, and influenced ethical behavior.

In Chinese medicine, emotions were linked to specific organs — fear with the kidneys and joy with the heart.

Indigenous cultures worldwide have tied emotions to nature and spirituality, often personifying them as deities or forces.

These varied frameworks highlight the diverse ways humans have sought to understand and express their inner worlds throughout history.

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The research team includes Professor Mikko Sams from Aalto University, Ellie Bennett from the University of Helsinki, Professor Lauri Nummenmaa from the University of Turku, and Ulrike Steinert from Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. The study was funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

The study is published in the journal iScience.

Image Credit: Modern/PNAS: Lauri Nummenmaa et al., Mesopotamian: Juha Lahnakoski.

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