The First Instruments
What happened
In the Hohle Fels cave in southwestern Germany, archaeologists led by Nicholas Conard recovered a nearly complete flute carved from the hollow wing-bone of a griffon vulture, about 21.8 cm long with five finger holes and a V-shaped mouthpiece. Found in a layer dating to roughly 40,000 years ago — the time modern humans settled the region — it is among the oldest musical instruments ever discovered. The careful, deliberate workmanship shows it was not a first attempt.
Why it matters
The Hohle Fels flute is direct evidence that music-making is tens of thousands of years old, woven into human culture alongside the first figurative art. Making music appears to be almost as old as our species itself.
How we know
The flute was excavated in 2008 and reconstructed from twelve fragments; its age comes from radiocarbon dating of the cultural layer in which it was found, published in 2009.
Sources
- National Geographic. Bone Flute Is Oldest Instrument, Study Says (2009) · Reputable source