Riaan 
Amarekhodi amadala kakhulu abonisa ukuqabula njengengxenye yezothando kusukela eminyakeni engu-4,500, inkulungwane egcwele ngaphambi kwalokho okwakucatshangwa ngaphambili, abacwaningi bathi ngoLwesihlanu.
Lolu cwaningo olusha, olushicilelwe kuleli sonto ephephabhukwini iSayensi, luthole ukuthi cishe lwalusabalele ngisho nasemandulo.
Inikeza ubufakazi bokuthi “ukuqabula izindebe kwabhalwa eMesophothamiya naseGibhithe lasendulo” kusukela okungenani ku-2500 BC.
UTroels Pank Arboll uthe yena nomlobi akanye naye uSophie Lund Rasmussen sebeqalile ukuhlola ukuthi ukubhebhetheka kwezifo kungathinteka kanjani ngokusungulwa komkhuba wokuqabulana ezindebeni njengendlela yokubonisa uthando.
U-Arboll uyisazi se-assyriologist – uchwepheshe wezifundo ze-Ancient Near East – eNyuvesi yaseCopenhagen; U-Lund Rasmussen uyisazi sezinto eziphilayo e-University of Oxford.
Bathole ukuthi ucwaningo lwakamuva lucaphune umthombo ovela e-India, wangonyaka ka-1500 BC, njengenkomba yokuqala “ekuqabuleni ngokocansi”.
“Ngangazi ukuthi kunemibhalo yangaphambili yaseMesopotamiya yasendulo,” u-Arboll, ofunda ukubhala nge-cuneiform ezibhebheni zobumba zasendulo njengengxenye yomsebenzi wakhe, utshele i-AFP.
Nakuba ubufakazi base buqoqwe kakade ngawo-1980, “ngokusobala ulwazi aluzange lwamukelwe kweminye imikhakha”, wengeza.
Ezinkulungwaneni zemibhalo yasendulo ye-cuneiform etholakalayo bathola izinkomba ezimbalwa zokuqabulana kothando.
Noma kunjalo, banezela, “kunezibonelo ezicacile ezibonisa ukuthi ukuqabula kwakubhekwa njengengxenye evamile yokusondelana kwezothando ezikhathini zasendulo”.
Imibhalo eyafundwa isho ukuthi “ukuqabulana yinto eyenziwa izithandani ezishadile” kodwa futhi “ukuqabula kwakubhekwa njengengxenye yesifiso sobulili somuntu ongashadile lapho esothandweni”, babhala.
Abacwaningi bahlukanise phakathi “kokuqabula kobungane nomzali” kanye “nokuqabulana ngokocansi”.
Ngenkathi eyokuqala ibonakala itholakala yonke indawo phakathi nesikhathi nendawo, lokhu kwakamuva “akusikhona ngokwesiko jikelele”.
