How a German Cave Rewrote the History of Music

Source: Intricate Explorer on Unsplash.com

While we tend to think of music as something played on modern instruments like guitars, pianos and flutes, the truth is that humans were making music tens of thousands of years ago. In caves in southwestern Germany, archaeologists have found ancient flutes made from bird bones and mammoth ivory. Some of the oldest instruments used in music date back to between 42,000 and 43,000 years ago. Their discovery changed our understanding of early humans, showing that music and art existed way before we did.

The cave finds were made in caves in the Swabian Alb region of southern Germany, such as Geißenklösterle and Hohle Fels. They represent an assemblage of clues about life during the Upper Palaeolithic period when modern humans began to settle in Europe at the close of the last Ice Age. Archaeologists found musical instruments in these caves, along with ornamental objects and ancient sculptures that indicate early humans were not only concerned with survival, but also with art and music.

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest finds was made in Geißenklösterle cave. Researchers examined flutes made from bone of birds and mammal ivory and used radiocarbon dating technology to determine their age. In 2012, high-resolution dating studies estimated that some of these instruments were between 42,000 and 43,000 years old, making them older than the well-known flute found at Hohle Fels, which dates to around 35,000 years ago.

The flutes were made from different materials. Hollowed bird bones were used for flutes, as they had a shape that made them easier to shape into instruments. Mammoth ivory, on the other hand, was much more difficult to work with. Creating an ivory flute required a great deal of skill, as the maker had to shape the ivory, hollow it out, and cut openings in the ivory for the fingers. These objects suggest that early humans had advanced abilities in crafting and could make sounds with carefully designed instruments.

Another famous find was made in Hohle Fels cave in 2008. Archaeologists led by Nicholas Conard from the University of Tübingen made a flute out of 12 fragments of griffon vulture bone, each about 22 centimetres long, with five finger holes and a notched end for blowing. The original was too small to be safely played, but a replica was made using the same materials to test the sound it produced.

The flute was found near an old female figurine made of mammal ivory. These artefacts and other archaeological finds from this region provide evidence that early modern humans had created musical instruments and figurative art. The purpose of the instruments is unknown, but the activity may have played an important part in the development of human culture.

Scientists cannot say if the flutes were used for entertainment, religious ceremonies, communication or social gatherings. But they could have had a number of roles. Music could have helped people bond and build camaraderie with each other, with communities or during significant events. Or it may have provided enjoyment while living through harsh Ice Age conditions. Whatever their intended role, the flutes show that music had become part of human life thousands of years before any recorded history existed.

These findings also highlight how early people spread across Europe, leading to theories that these people may have crossed the Danube and carried technology and culture with them into central Europe via the Danube River. The Swabian Alb caves are dotted with early artefacts and decorative items, suggesting the region is particularly useful for tracing human creativity. The instruments suggest that some early Europeans already had these forms of culture.

A harder issue is whether Neanderthals also made music. The Neanderthals lived in Europe around the same time, and some researchers have suggested that a perforated cave bear bone found in Slovenia may be a flute made by them. But this is not definitive. Some scientists argue that the holes in the cave bear bones were made by animal teeth, not human ones. Unlike the disputed object, the German flutes are widely believed to be genuine musical instruments because their shape and construction indicate deliberate craftsmanship.

These flutes are one of the oldest indisputable musical instruments, but they don’t give a specific date of when music started. Archaeological evidence for singing, clapping, whistling and striking objects together would be sparse. Humans might have been making music long before they had the tools to make permanent musical instruments.

That’s why ancient flutes from German caves provide more than evidence of early music. They demonstrate that tens of thousands of years ago, people were creative, patient and technical in the production of instruments. They enable scientists to track the evolution of art and culture in early humans. Most importantly, it shows that the urge to make and share music is not a new thing, but a tradition that stretches far back into human history.

References:

. . .