Prehistoric Flute from Germany, c.40,000 BCE: this is one of the oldest musical instruments ever discovered, and it was carved from the wing-bone of a griffon vulture
This flute was discovered during excavations at the Hohle Fels cave in southwestern Germany, where several other flutes dating back to about 41,000-35,000 BCE have also been unearthed. They are the oldest undisputed musical instruments ever discovered.
As this article describes:
With five finger holes and a V-shaped mouthpiece, the almost complete bird-bone fluteâmade from the naturally hollow wing bone of a griffon vultureâis just 0.3 inch (8 millimeters) wide and was originally about 13 inches (34 centimeters) long.
The sophistication of the flute's design suggests that it was part of a much older musical tradition:
... although these are currently the earliest flutes known, it is reasonable to expect that even earlier examples were produced within and outside the region: the instruments from Hohle Fels are too "evolved" in terms of design and manufacture to represent the first flutes.
The makers and players of the Aurignacian flutes were thus not novices, but had considerable musical knowledge and experience that may have resulted from some form of trans-generational communication.
Moreover, the earliest musical instruments, such as drums and rattles, were probably made of perishable materials â perhaps wood and hide â that are not routinely preserved in the archaeological record.
Even so, these flutes from southwestern Germany are of immense importance, as they document a mature musical tradition that was firmly in place thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
In fact, the development of music may be as old as humanity itself:
During their migration from Africa into Europe as early as 40,000 years ago, our ancestors were already making music. The artifacts discovered in the Hohle Fels Cave, dating back some 40,000 years, reveal that this capacity existed in our common ancestors even then, and quite likely long before.
In this rare glimpse into the unfolding of culture itself, we can see that the evolutionary roots of music go deep into our human story. So deep, that many scientists now believe that music played a crucial role in the development of the human mind.
National Geographic: Bone Flute is World's Oldest Musical Instrument, Study Says
PubMed: The Earliest Known Musical Tradition
The New York Times: Oldest Musical Instruments are Even Older than First Thought
Kassa Flutes: Toneholes and Tradition: How a 40,000 Year Old Flute Leveled the Playing Field
Nature: New Flutes Document the Earliest Musical Tradition in Southwestern Germany
Fine Music Sydney: The Hohle Fels Flute: Unveiling the Earliest Known Musical Instrument
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