Music has been a part of human civilization since time immemorial. Humankind’s first musicians developed instruments that have evolved throughout the ages. However, some instruments survived and continue to be in use today.
This article discusses the eight oldest known musical instruments in the world. These instruments date back to ancient civilizations and cultures, offering a glimpse into the prehistoric people’s rich musical traditions. These surviving ancient instruments are proof of music’s enduring power to bring people together, no matter where they come from.
Three cave flutes in Germany
The oldest known musical tools come from Geisenklösterle Cave in Germany. There are three flutes. Two are made from swan bones, and one from mammoth ivory. They’re about 42,000 to 43,000 years old, but some accounts say they’re 35,000 to 40,000 years old.
Some researchers think that early musical instruments, like these ancient flutes, helped prehistoric society to develop and maintain solid bonds. They believe the close relationships among early humans helped protect our species and expand its domains further than the Neanderthals, who went extinct in most parts of today’s Europe around 30,000 years ago.
These surviving flutes belong to the Aurignacian culture, who were of the first modern humans in Europe. This discovery provides early evidence of humans’ cultural expressions and sophisticated musical abilities. The instruments reflect the ancient societies’ cognitive capabilities and artistic creativity.
Bone from Slovenia
The Divje Babe flute (or believed to be a flute) from Slovenia caused a lot of talk. It’s believed to be 40,000 to 43,100 years old. It has a row of holes, suggesting people created it for a musical purpose. However, its classification as a musical instrument is subject to debate, with some suggesting that it was a tool instead of an instrument.
Who produced the so-called flute is also subject to debate. Some believe Neanderthals made it, while others say it was early modern humans. A new study says it might just be a bone (likely a cave bear’s bone) animals chewed on. It’s on display in a Slovenian museum now, labeled as a Neanderthal flute.
German cave flute
A flute found in Hohle Fels cave, Germany, dates around 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. It’s made from the wing bone of a griffon vulture and consists of five finger holes.
This flute is special because it’s whole and looks similar to the flutes we use today. It demonstrates the prehistoric people’s sophisticated craftsmanship and musical creativity. An “experimental archaeologist” named Wulf Hein made a replica of the cave flute and used it to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” (you can see a video of it on YouTube).
The cave flutes of France
Isturitz Cave in France yielded more than 20 flutes. They date to around 20,000 to 35,000 years ago. These cave flutes were made of bird bones and have evidence of careful crafting, as the flutes have finger holes to create different pitches.
Different cultural groups, including the Aurignacian, Gravettian, and Magdalenian, crafted these flutes over time. Two flutes from 22,000 to 28,000 years ago are the most complete. You can see wear marks on the flute where fingers touched them a lot.
Whirring sound sticks
The bullroarer is a simple ancient musical instrument featuring a thin, flat, rectangular piece of wood, bone, or stone on a string. When spun, it makes a loud, whirring noise. Several cultures, most notably the Australian Aborigines, have used the bullroarer for communication over great distances as well as rituals and music-making.
A 20,000-year-old wooden bullroarer found in Ukraine is said to be the oldest of its kind. In addition, archaeologists have discovered several ancient bullroarers in parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Americas, and the Indian subcontinent.
Stone music makers
Lithophones are music tools made from rocks. People strike them to make sounds. These instruments illustrate the prehistoric people’s innovative music-making approach using natural materials.
Some of the oldest lithophones come from Vietnam and India. They might be 4,000 to 10,000 years old. In Vietnam, there’s a set called Dan Da with 11 big stone slabs. Lithophones from India, such as the ancient Mohan Dhol, are believed to be the same age as the Vietnam ones. England also has famous lithophones called the Musical Stones of Skiddaw. You can say that these people were the first to create “rock” music (pardon the pun).
Prehistoric Chinese flutes
Archaeologists found very old flutes in the Neolithic site in Jiahu, China. These instruments date back to around 7,000 to 9,000 years ago. They were made from crane wing bones.
The site yielded 33 flutes, with six of them still working. These flutes have five to eight holes, demonstrating the prehistoric people’s understanding of musical scale and sound production. One seven-hole flute can play notes like our modern scale.
Researchers have tried playing the best-looking flute and uploaded their recordings to demonstrate musical signs that transpired thousands of years ago. Tonal analysis reports that the seven-holed flute yielded notes similar to the familiar eight-note scale (the “sol-fa” scale) that starts with “Do, re, mi.”
The golden trumpets of Egypt
The ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb held two remarkable trumpets. These silver and bronze instruments are over 3,300 years old and date around 1323 B.C. The trumpets are intricately designed, demonstrating the ancient Egyptians’ advanced metalworking skills. Their fine engravings show gods like Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and Amun.
The trumpets’ showy appearance suggests they were likely used in ceremonies or rituals, demonstrating the significance of music in ancient Egyptian culture.
In 1939, people heard them played on BBC radio. They believed that these trumpets had special powers linked to war. Some even connected them to the British joining World War II as the war in Europe broke out five months before BBC radio broadcast.
Conclusion
These ancient musical instruments provide insight into the prehistoric people’s musical practices. They highlight the cultural, social, and technological developments of their time. These surviving ancient instruments remind us of the universal human desire to create and share music, which is a fundamental aspect of our shared heritage.