Some say that one of the things that makes us human is the love of music. It can impact our moods and emotions; it can inspire, uplift, excite, soothe and relax, and it’s by no means a modern phenomenon.
We find musical instruments in Ancient Egypt, China and Greece. Evidence of music is found in the Maya civilisation, in Ancient Mesopotamia and throughout the Roman Empire, but an archaeological mission in 1995 led to the discovery of the world’s oldest musical instrument.
In the Divje Babe Cave in Slovenia, archaeologist Ivan Turk discovered this, a perforated bone amongst the remnants of a Neanderthal fire pit and a selection of stone and bone tools.
This cave was likely a Neanderthal stopover point for thousands of years, with evidence of fires and tools found in numerous archaeological layers, but this small perforated bone was unique.
On close inspection, the pierced holes were crafted by hand, an intentional addition to the ancient femur of a young cave bear, and experts have identified the object as a Neanderthal flute, and in this video, I'll play you the sounds made from this 60,000-year-old instrument.
