Clues about the start of modern culture found in a cavern
It looks like a twiglet or some kind of organic toothpick, but this spindly thing is actually a flute – and German researchers reckon it’s the oldest musical instrument ever found. Dating back more than 35,000 years, it’s part of a set found in Hohle Fels, south west Germany, ingeniously made from bits and bobs found spotted about – including mammoth tusks and vulture wing bones.
It’s believed they come from a period when modern humans started colonising Europe; a time when you’d get your message across with a big stick and putting people on hold might have been another name for torture.
Then and now
But what’s interesting is that these instruments prove how music has been a massive part of life for thousands and thousands of years, binding groups of people even in pre-historic times. It’s also added weight to the theory that music was widely established much earlier than previously thought – and that creativity is one of the reasons Homo sapiens flourished over Neanderthals.
Even more interesting is that the simple but elegant technology behind this ancient flute is similar to modern woodwind instruments – and that its instantly recognisable sound is still used on examples of digitally produced music today. Same idea, different formats – linking 35,000 years with just a simple noise.
Those who learned recorder at school might find it difficult to play London’s Burning, though.