Music What is the oldest known musical instrument in history?

  • Thread starter Thread starter edward
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Year
AI Thread Summary
A recent discovery of a 35,000-year-old flute made from a bird's bone has sparked interest in prehistoric music and the development of early musical instruments. The flute is considered the oldest known musical instrument, challenging previous assumptions about the capabilities of early humans. The presence of holes in the flute suggests intentional design for producing sound, raising questions about the motivations behind its creation. Some speculate that the addition of holes may have been a trial-and-error process, indicating an early exploration of music and sound. This finding highlights the sophistication of prehistoric cultures and their ability to create complex objects for artistic expression.
Science news on Phys.org
Awesome! I'm writing a paper on prehistoric music so this is fairly interesting!
 
moose said:
Awesome! I'm writing a paper on prehistoric music so this is fairly interesting!

I would never have imagined that they would find something that old. The first thing that came to mind was: "its got to be a hoax".
 
edward said:
I would never have imagined that they would find something that old. The first thing that came to mind was: "its got to be a hoax".

Ya I was thinking the same thing... This is really remarkable I never would have thought any kind of crafted instrument existed back then.

What I wonder though is why they ever decided to put holes in it anyways? Probably just a mistake and they thought that it sounded nice?
 
Sorry! said:
Ya I was thinking the same thing... This is really remarkable I never would have thought any kind of crafted instrument existed back then.

What I wonder though is why they ever decided to put holes in it anyways? Probably just a mistake and they thought that it sounded nice?

Someone probably put just one hole in a piece of bone and just got carried away. Thats progress.:biggrin:
 
There is a neighboring thread Cover songs versus the original track, which ones are better? https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/cover-songs-versus-the-original-track-which-ones-are-better.1050205/ which is an endless subject and as colorful are the posts there. I came across a Buddy Holly cover by Eva Cassidy only to find out that the Buddy Holly song was already a Paul Anka cover. Anyway, both artists who had covered the song have passed far too early in their lives. That gave me the...

Similar threads

Replies
11
Views
3K
Replies
9
Views
848
Replies
23
Views
3K
Replies
16
Views
5K
Replies
24
Views
4K
Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
3K
Back
Top