The oldest known musical instrument may be a Neanderthal flute.
Music is powerful. Research shows it can help us sleep better, jog our memories, and even reduce anxiety and blood pressure. It also serves as a social tool, and has helped humans mark special occasions such as religious festivals, weddings, and funerals for thousands of years — or maybe even longer. In fact, some scientists believe that the oldest musical instrument may date back around 60,000 years. In 1995, archaeologists unearthed an object that might be the world’s oldest musical instrument, a flute found in the Divje Babe cave in western Slovenia. The flute, which some researchers think was made by Neanderthals, was found near the remains of a prehistoric fire pit and fashioned from a bear femur; it has a carved mouthpiece and three spaced holes that may have been used to create different tones. Some scientists believe the instrument was ergonomically designed for a right-handed musician.
However, not everyone agrees that the Divje Babe cave flute is actually an instrument. A study published in 2015 suggests that the object wasn’t a musical creation or even the work of Neanderthals, but instead was made by scavenging predators. According to an examination by paleontologist Cajus Diedrich, the bones didn’t show any evidence of drilling from stone tools, but instead had teeth markings likely caused by ice age hyenas. However, Diedrich’s theory is heavily contested by other biologists who have performed bone-cracking tests and created playable replicas. They argue that it would be unlikely for an animal to accidentally create such an artifact — though we may never know exactly who did.
Modern recorders are nearly identical to their popular musical ancestors, which emerged in the 14th century. The earliest known recorders were made from wood or ivory and came in a variety of sizes, with the largest used to mimic bass tone. Like today’s versions, they generally had seven finger holes and one thumbhole. Recorders were fundamental to Renaissance and Baroque music, and were featured in performing ensembles throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. However, they fell out of popularity during the 18th century as modern flutes became more popular. Nevertheless, simple plastic recorders eventually became an important part of musical education as a tool for the youngest performers — albeit one that is sometimes bemoaned by parents.
