Flutes Offer Clues to Stone-Age Music
Jack Linthicum
years old and was found in the same Hohle Fels cave as the Venus of a
month ago.
June 25, 2009
Flutes Offer Clues to Stone-Age Music
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
At least 35,000 years ago, in the depths of the last ice age, the
sound of music filled a cave in what is now southwestern Germany, the
same place and time early Homo sapiens were also carving the oldest
known examples of figurative art in the world.
Music and sculpture — expressions of artistic creativity, it seems —
were emerging in tandem among some of the first modern humans when
they first began spreading through Europe or soon after.
Archaeologists reported Wednesday the discovery last fall of a bone
flute and two fragments of ivory flutes that they said represent the
earliest known flowering of music-making in Stone Age culture. They
said the bone flute with five finger holes, found at Hohle Fels Cave
in the hills west of Ulm, was “by far the most complete of the musical
instruments so far recovered from the caves” in a region where pieces
of other flutes have been turning up in recent years.
A three-hole flute carved from mammoth ivory was uncovered a few years
ago at another cave, as well as two flutes made from wing bones of a
mute swan. In the same cave, archaeologists also found beautiful
carvings of animals.
But until now the artifacts appeared to be too rare and not as
precisely dated to support wider interpretations of the early rise of
music. The earliest solid evidence of music instruments had previously
come from France and Austria, but dated well after 30,000 years ago.
In an article published online by the journal Nature, Nicholas J.
Conard of the University of Tübingen, in Germany, and colleagues
wrote, “These finds demonstrate the presence of a well-established
musical tradition at the time when modern humans colonized Europe.”
Although radiocarbon dates earlier than 30,000 years ago can be
imprecise, samples from the bones and associated material were tested
independently by two laboratories, in England and Germany, using
different methods. Scientists said the data agreed on ages of at least
35,000 years old.
Dr. Conard, a professor of archaeology, said in an e-mail message from
Germany that “the new flutes must be very close to 40,000 calendar
years old and certainly date to the initial settlement of the region.”
Dr. Conard’s team said that an abundance of stone and ivory artifacts,
flint-knapping debris and bones of hunted animals were found in the
sediments with the flutes. Many people appeared to have lived and
worked there soon after their arrival in Europe, assumed to be around
40,000 years ago and 10,000 years before the native Neanderthals were
to become extinct.
The Neanderthals, close human relatives, apparently left no firm
evidence of having been musical.
The most significant of the new artifacts, the archaeologists said,
was a flute made from a hollow bone of a griffon vulture, skeletons of
which are often found in these caves. The preserved portion is about
8.5 inches long and includes the end of the instrument into which the
musician blew. The maker had carved two deep, V-shaped notches there,
and four fine lines near the finger holes. The other end appears to be
broken off; judging by the typical length of these bird bones, two or
three inches are missing.
Dr. Conard’s discovery in 2004 of the seven-inch, three-holed ivory
flute at the Geissenklösterle cave, also near Ulm, inspired him to
widen his search of caves, saying at the time that southern Germany
“may have been one of the places where human culture originated.”
Friedrich Seeberger, a German specialist in ancient music, reproduced
the ivory flute in wood. Experimenting with the replica, he found that
the ancient flute produced a range of notes comparable in many ways to
modern flutes. “The tones are quite harmonic,” he said.
A replica is yet to be made of the recent discovery, but the
archaeologists said they expected the five-hole flute with its larger
diameter to “provide a comparable, or perhaps greater, range of notes
and musical possibilities.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Conard began this week a new season of exploration at
Hohle Fels Cave. “We’ll see how it goes,” he said by e-mail. “I never
have expectations. One never finds what one is looking for, but one
normally finds something interesting.”
Archaeologists and other scholars can only speculate as to what moved
these early Europeans to make music.
It so happens, as Dr. Conard and his co-authors, Susanne C. Münzel of
Tubingen and Maria Malina of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences,
noted, the Hohle Fels flute was uncovered in sediments a few feet away
from the carved figurine of a busty, nude woman, also around 35,000
years old. The discovery was announced in May by Dr. Conard.
Was this evidence of happy hours after the hunt? Fertility rites or
social bonding? The German archaeologists suggested that music in the
Stone Age “could have contributed to the maintenance of larger social
networks, and thereby perhaps have helped facilitate the demographic
and territorial expansion of modern humans.”
Jack Linthicum
wrote:
Listen to the flute, recordings at the citation/cite.
A Little Flute Music To Warm The Cave
by Richard Harris
Listen Now [3 min 52 sec] add to playlist | download
H. Jensen
Bone flute from Hohle Fels with an enlarged image of the finger holes.
University of Tubingen
Listen: A Simple Song Played On A Replica Of A Vulture Bone Flute
add
Archaeologists dig for new finds in a cave in southwestern Germany.
University of Tubingen
All Things Considered, June 24, 2009 · Archaeologists say they have
unearthed the world's oldest musical instruments. They are flutes,
made of vulture bone and mammoth tusks. They were found in caves in
southwestern Germany and date back to the time when modern human
beings — who actually looked like us — were first venturing into
Europe.
Scientists have little doubt that music is so basic to human nature
that it goes back to our earliest days as a species. It's hard not to
make music, when you think about it.
"Clap your hands, tap your foot, dance, sing, whistle. There's endless
music you can make just with your body," says Nicholas Conard at
Tubingen University.
Since Conard is an archaeologist, he has been looking for hard
evidence of early music. He and his colleagues now report in the
journal Nature a spectacular discovery: four flutes, buried in Ice Age
garbage heaps in the caves of Germany. They date back 35,000 to 40,000
years, making them the oldest undisputed musical instruments.
One of the flutes is made of a vulture wing bone and is about a foot
long. The other flutes were made out of mammoth tusks. The early
musicians clearly had leisure time not only to play, but to make
instruments.
"That's really quite a surprise that flutes would be made out of
massive mammoth ivory, which is material that's very hard to work, and
not just bird bones, which are hollow and ideal for making flutes,"
Conard says.
He suspects the ivory flutes were favored because they produced a
deeper, richer tone. He says archaeologists have found similar ivory
flutes in more recent cave deposits in the same region. They've
figured out what it took to make them.
First, a tube of ivory needs to be whittled from the larger tusk and
then split in half.
"Then you have to hollow it out, get the exact form, smooth out the
inside and outside, cut the ends to length, and cut the finger holes.
And even if you can do all that, then you've got the problem — how do
you get the halves together?" Conard says.
The ancient craftsmen cut delicate notches in order to get the halves
to fit just so.
Then they used some type of sealant or glue. "And then — you can play
it," Conard says.
In order to figure out what those ancient flutes actually sounded
like, a colleague of Conard's made a replica out of vulture bone.
"The first recording I heard was an absolutely horrendous version of
The Star-Spangled Banner, which sounded something like a more awful
version of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock," Conard said.
Alas, he wouldn't share that recording with NPR, "because I don't want
to mix serious science with jokes. But I must say I just cried when I
heard it, I was laughing so hard."
Now, this ancient flute was found very close to another famous
artifact Conard recently unearthed from these caves: a carved figure
of a female with exaggerated sexual characteristics — a Venus
figurine.
"It's certainly plausible that the people who carved and used the
flute, also carved and used the Venus figurine. Again, we can't say
for sure, but they could easily go together."
What anthropologists can say without doubt is that early modern humans
who were venturing into Europe during the last Ice Age were expressing
themselves artistically. Just think of the cave paintings from around
this time, says Ian Tattersall at the American Museum of Natural
History in New York.
"We know that these early humans had the kind of creativity that we
have, and now we know for sure that this creativity from the earliest
time includes music," Tattersall says.
Music and art reveal that human beings are using abstractions and
symbols: the hallmarks of humanity. "It gives us imagination. It gives
us the possibility to create new worlds," Tattersall says.
And that is just what our ancestors needed as they pushed north —
despite the hostile Ice Age conditions 40,000 years ago.
Matt Giwer
...
> Scientists have little doubt that music is so basic to human nature
> that it goes back to our earliest days as a species. It's hard not to
> make music, when you think about it.
> "Clap your hands, tap your foot, dance, sing, whistle. There's endless
> music you can make just with your body," says Nicholas Conard at
> Tubingen University.
Which begs the question of why we do it. If Goodall had observed chimps doing
it I am certain we would have all heard of it. But I think I have come across
mention of all apes slapping their bodies to make sounds. They are simply not
"melodious," at least not to us.
> Since Conard is an archaeologist, he has been looking for hard
> evidence of early music. He and his colleagues now report in the
> journal Nature a spectacular discovery: four flutes, buried in Ice Age
> garbage heaps in the caves of Germany. They date back 35,000 to 40,000
> years, making them the oldest undisputed musical instruments.
> One of the flutes is made of a vulture wing bone and is about a foot
> long. The other flutes were made out of mammoth tusks. The early
> musicians clearly had leisure time not only to play, but to make
> instruments.
Way too much is made of the leisure time thing. What else is there to do in
the long winter nights? When food is least available there are the least
daylight hours to find it. Clearly they survived. In the long daylight of
summer food is abundant so even less time would be needed to get food. In the
fall food is being put into storage for winter as ripening coincides with
decreasing daylight hours to collect and store. No matter how you look at it,
there has to be a lot of free time even if only seasonal.
> "That's really quite a surprise that flutes would be made out of
> massive mammoth ivory, which is material that's very hard to work, and
> not just bird bones, which are hollow and ideal for making flutes,"
> Conard says.
> He suspects the ivory flutes were favored because they produced a
> deeper, richer tone. He says archaeologists have found similar ivory
> flutes in more recent cave deposits in the same region. They've
> figured out what it took to make them.
> First, a tube of ivory needs to be whittled from the larger tusk and
> then split in half.
> "Then you have to hollow it out, get the exact form, smooth out the
> inside and outside, cut the ends to length, and cut the finger holes.
> And even if you can do all that, then you've got the problem — how do
> you get the halves together?" Conard says.
I am not familiar with the details of mammoth ivory but I would have thought
they also have a root cavity near the growing end. A little judicious smashing
and enlarging the "root" cavity seems a lot less work. Then put the pieces
together and shape while spinning with a bow -- like that method of starting a
fire -- and shaping with a rock. Of course a lot more work than a bird bone
but not nearly as hard as starting with a solid block of tusk.
> The ancient craftsmen cut delicate notches in order to get the halves
> to fit just so.
> Then they used some type of sealant or glue. "And then — you can play
> it," Conard says.
What gets me is how they got the holes placed correctly. It is something you
have to get right the first time. Copy the last one that got it right is
obvious. Additional holes by trial and error would work as if in the wrong
place then seal it over (mud? pine resin?) and try again. But what kind of
tonal scale were they trying for? I do not have the gene for playing musical
instruments. I am a genetic listener. Any musician here with an insight?
> In order to figure out what those ancient flutes actually sounded
> like, a colleague of Conard's made a replica out of vulture bone.
> "The first recording I heard was an absolutely horrendous version of
> The Star-Spangled Banner, which sounded something like a more awful
> version of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock," Conard said.
> Alas, he wouldn't share that recording with NPR, "because I don't want
> to mix serious science with jokes. But I must say I just cried when I
> heard it, I was laughing so hard."
Quite correct. However there are other very interesting tonal scales which it
might fit better such as the 5 tone scale used in Bali for their Gamelon form.
(I do not have the music playing gene. Anyone with a more correct description
please correct that statement.)
Back when I made a disastrous attempt to learn to play a recorder I found it
very interesting to use it for rhythm only, tones in time to a recognizable
tune. I used to have a habit of tapping my fingers in time to a song in my
head. People around me could identify the song -- usually asking me to stop.
Try the theme from Bridge of the River Kwai, Col. somebody's march.
In other words assuming they were for producing melodies as we use flutes
today may be in error.
> Now, this ancient flute was found very close to another famous
> artifact Conard recently unearthed from these caves: a carved figure
> of a female with exaggerated sexual characteristics — a Venus
> figurine.
> "It's certainly plausible that the people who carved and used the
> flute, also carved and used the Venus figurine. Again, we can't say
> for sure, but they could easily go together."
Or the women used the flutes in the Southpark quiff style.
> What anthropologists can say without doubt is that early modern humans
> who were venturing into Europe during the last Ice Age were expressing
> themselves artistically. Just think of the cave paintings from around
> this time, says Ian Tattersall at the American Museum of Natural
> History in New York.
> "We know that these early humans had the kind of creativity that we
> have, and now we know for sure that this creativity from the earliest
> time includes music," Tattersall says.
> Music and art reveal that human beings are using abstractions and
> symbols: the hallmarks of humanity. "It gives us imagination. It gives
> us the possibility to create new worlds," Tattersall says.
But just what does music symbolize?
Having a natural bent to consider the practical uses first, perhaps they
started not as music at all but were used as "duck calls" by hunters.
Imitating a bird call to attract them may have been the original usage. If
that were the case we still do not know when music started. If these same
folks can identify the probably game birds from that era and see if these
flutes can imitate the calls of those same birds today it would be an
interesting data point. Of course their calls have almost certainly changed,
particularly in densely populated Europe, so it would likely be no more than a
judgment call on it being a match. We know birds change their songs in urban
environments. If these were bird calls one would expect the extinction of
those whose songs could be duplicated -- co-evolution is a bitch.
Anyway we know men brag and tales of the hunt would be popular and using the
flute to demonstrate the correct call would be a natural part of telling the
tale. Improving on the bird call, making it more interesting, would be a
natural way to evolve into tonals for their own sake.
> And that is just what our ancestors needed as they pushed north —
> despite the hostile Ice Age conditions 40,000 years ago.
--
There is no known connection between Qumran and the Essenes. There is no
known connection between the Dead Sea Scrolls and either the Essenes or
Qumran, People believe the strangest things.
-- The Iron Webmaster, 4158
http://www.giwersworld.org a1
Fri Jun 26 04:36:34 EDT 2009
Jack Linthicum
wrote:
That great font of archaeological theorizing, the New York Times,
takes a shot at the old flute from Hohle. Someone blew into one end of
a bird bone to clean out what had stuck inside and a sound emerged. We
know that music accompanied the Greek story tellers, why not flute
music, soft enough to provide background for a story teller. Probably
the first jazz, nothing written just playing as the mood emerged.
June 28, 2009
Pondering Prehistoric Melodies
By DANIEL J. WAKIN
“I have a reasonable good ear in music,” says Bottom in Shakespeare’s
“Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “Let’s have the tongs and the bones.”
A Stone Age ancestor living near what is now Ulm, Germany, did Bottom
one better. He took the hollow bone of a griffon vulture, carved five
holes in it and made one of the first flutes known to exist. (Perhaps
it was a she; there are lots of great women flutists.)
This was at least 35,000 years ago — maybe even 40,000 years ago.
Could it have been around the time of the birth of human-made melody,
a period when speech perhaps began to develop? It must have been a
fine improvement on the whack of tongs and bones.
A report of the flute’s discovery last week gives rise to all sorts of
speculation about the origins of music and how it creates a palpable
link between us and our prehistoric predecessors.
“It’s easier to think of them as conscious, autonomous individuals if
they’re making music,” said Sato Moughalian, a New York-based
professional flutist. “To make the step from just breathing to
actually producing a sound requires a different sense of self.”
At the least, the find delights flute players, who like to point out
that their instrument (outside of percussion) is the most elemental of
all. No reeds to blow past, no strings to make vibrate, no mouthpiece
to buzz.
“It’s very simple,” Robert Langevin, the principal flutist of the New
York Philharmonic. “There’s no intermediate thing to produce the
sound. Our way of breathing is similar to the way of singers.” And
nothing is more natural to the human organism than breathing.
Of course, Mr. Langevin and his colleagues play something much
different than the cave flute. Their flutes are generally made of
metal (sometimes even gold), have keys and pads that cover holes. They
are also played sideways.
The five-hole vulture bone flute has a notched end, across which the
player blows. Its discovery was reported in an article in the journal
Nature. Nicholas J. Conard of the University of Tübingen in Germany
was one of the authors. He said an experimental archaeologist named
Wulf Hein made a reproduction and recorded several tunes, including
“The Star-Spangled Banner.” The flute’s basic scale replicates the
notes accompanying the line “Oh say can you see,” Dr. Conard said.
The flute and several other types found nearby indicate a high-level
of musical and technological sophistication, he said. While the nature
of the music they made at the time is unknown, “There had to have been
Paganinis, Mozarts, Hendrixes,” he said.
The discovery is also a reminder that music was present at the
earliest flowering of human culture, an idea that musicians and music
lovers can embrace with great joy, said Steven Stucky, a composer (who
has written a double concerto for flutes and orchestra). “This must
have been a fundamental part of life,” he said.
It is, of course, impossible to establish how humans became musical.
The song of birds and patter of rain may have provided examples. “Once
humans got the musical bug going, I can imagine sort of looking at
everything,” said Peter Schickele, the composer and alter ego of P. D.
Q. Bach. “Can you hit it, can you blow it, can you make a sound out of
it?” He added, “I’ve done a fair amount of that in my own life.”
Dr. Conard suggested music strengthened and extended social bonds,
perhaps contributing to the evolutionary survival of homo sapiens. The
flute was found in an area also inhabited by Neanderthals, who —
according to the archaeological record — did not appear to be very
musical.
About 10,000 years later, they fell extinct.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/weekinreview/28wakin.html?_r=1&src=twr&pagewanted=print
Matt Giwer
> That great font of archaeological theorizing, the New York Times,
> takes a shot at the old flute from Hohle. Someone blew into one end of
> a bird bone to clean out what had stuck inside and a sound emerged. We
> know that music accompanied the Greek story tellers, why not flute
> music, soft enough to provide background for a story teller. Probably
> the first jazz, nothing written just playing as the mood emerged.
> June 28, 2009
> Pondering Prehistoric Melodies
> By DANIEL J. WAKIN
> “I have a reasonable good ear in music,” says Bottom in Shakespeare’s
> “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “Let’s have the tongs and the bones.”
> A Stone Age ancestor living near what is now Ulm, Germany, did Bottom
> one better. He took the hollow bone of a griffon vulture, carved five
> holes in it and made one of the first flutes known to exist. (Perhaps
> it was a she; there are lots of great women flutists.)
Flautists. So much for the NYT's snobbery. Be that as it may ...
Our flutes are not the traditional flute. The pan flute against a single tube
with holes. And of course ours are sideways.
I presume many readers here can do or know people who can cup their hands
together, blow over the thumbs and make tones. Again a natural range of tones
with bones and such only increasing the range. Whether they started as bird
lures of lures for predators on birds or just for fun or for some other reason
is still open.
> This was at least 35,000 years ago — maybe even 40,000 years ago.
> Could it have been around the time of the birth of human-made melody,
> a period when speech perhaps began to develop? It must have been a
> fine improvement on the whack of tongs and bones.
Which is why I bring up the cupped hands method of making tones. And then
there is whistling. And then of course the vocal cords.
Please, why all this attempt to associate tools to make music with the start
of something when in fact if tones were of interest they were clearly late
comers to the interest in doing so?
Musical instruments, tools, are in different ranges than human produced
tones. More people can play instruments than can sing quality-wise. Anyone can
sing and miss a note or five, tools get it right forever. There are a lot of
good reasons to develop musical tools and they are the same as for other
tools, they allowed more people to do things they could not do on their own.
Like clubs they are an extension of human capabilities not the invention of them.
> A report of the flute’s discovery last week gives rise to all sorts of
> speculation about the origins of music and how it creates a palpable
> link between us and our prehistoric predecessors.
> “It’s easier to think of them as conscious, autonomous individuals if
> they’re making music,” said Sato Moughalian, a New York-based
> professional flutist. “To make the step from just breathing to
> actually producing a sound requires a different sense of self.”
This is almost cartoonish. People discovered they could make tones with bones
and such. Then they learned to make music with those bones. And then they got
the idea to sing along. Seems to me the singing came first. The singing was
the invention of music. Finding these musical tools is discovering an
accompaniment to singing.
> At the least, the find delights flute players, who like to point out
> that their instrument (outside of percussion) is the most elemental of
> all. No reeds to blow past, no strings to make vibrate, no mouthpiece
> to buzz.
> “It’s very simple,” Robert Langevin, the principal flutist of the New
> York Philharmonic. “There’s no intermediate thing to produce the
> sound. Our way of breathing is similar to the way of singers.” And
> nothing is more natural to the human organism than breathing.
That is so Duh! it is embarrassing.
> Of course, Mr. Langevin and his colleagues play something much
> different than the cave flute. Their flutes are generally made of
> metal (sometimes even gold), have keys and pads that cover holes. They
> are also played sideways.
> The five-hole vulture bone flute has a notched end, across which the
> player blows. Its discovery was reported in an article in the journal
> Nature. Nicholas J. Conard of the University of Tübingen in Germany
> was one of the authors. He said an experimental archaeologist named
> Wulf Hein made a reproduction and recorded several tunes, including
> “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The flute’s basic scale replicates the
> notes accompanying the line “Oh say can you see,” Dr. Conard said.
It was used for an ancient drinking song. I like that.
> The flute and several other types found nearby indicate a high-level
> of musical and technological sophistication, he said. While the nature
> of the music they made at the time is unknown, “There had to have been
> Paganinis, Mozarts, Hendrixes,” he said.
Speaking of ones found nearby, what are the ones without holes not pan
flutes? Tuning is a hell of a lot easier. It is not a question of getting the
hole in the right place. It is a matter of shortening it until the tone correct.
> The discovery is also a reminder that music was present at the
> earliest flowering of human culture, an idea that musicians and music
> lovers can embrace with great joy, said Steven Stucky, a composer (who
> has written a double concerto for flutes and orchestra). “This must
> have been a fundamental part of life,” he said.
See above as to "earliest." It assumes singing did not come first at the very
least.
> It is, of course, impossible to establish how humans became musical.
Singing comes to mind. Coyotes do it.
> The song of birds and patter of rain may have provided examples. “Once
> humans got the musical bug going, I can imagine sort of looking at
> everything,” said Peter Schickele, the composer and alter ego of P. D.
> Q. Bach. “Can you hit it, can you blow it, can you make a sound out of
> it?” He added, “I’ve done a fair amount of that in my own life.”
It sounds like he is making a parody of the explanation. I do like the 1712
Overture.
> Dr. Conard suggested music strengthened and extended social bonds,
> perhaps contributing to the evolutionary survival of homo sapiens. The
> flute was found in an area also inhabited by Neanderthals, who —
> according to the archaeological record — did not appear to be very
> musical.
Where is PDQ when you need him.
> About 10,000 years later, they fell extinct.
Support the arts or die!
--
Dumb people have one thing going for them.
They cannot do stupid things.
-- The Iron Webmaster, 4151
http://www.giwersworld.org/holo/ a8
Sun Jun 28 08:56:51 EDT 2009
Hayabusa
<jackli...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>On Jun 24, 3:54�pm, Jack Linthicum <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net>
>wrote:
>That great font of archaeological theorizing, the New York Times,
>takes a shot at the old flute from Hohle.
Hohl = hollow; Fels = massive rock; Hohle Fels = canyon wall with
caverns.
>Someone blew into one end of
>a bird bone to clean out what had stuck inside and a sound emerged. We
>know that music accompanied the Greek story tellers, why not flute
>music, soft enough to provide background for a story teller. Probably
>the first jazz, nothing written just playing as the mood emerged.
Which proves that the first form of music was musac.
>Dr. Conard suggested music strengthened and extended social bonds,
>perhaps contributing to the evolutionary survival of homo sapiens. The
>flute was found in an area also inhabited by Neanderthals, who �
>according to the archaeological record � did not appear to be very
>musical.
>
>About 10,000 years later, they fell extinct.
Take-home lesson: play music, or else.
Hayabusa
Jack Linthicum
> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:41:53 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum
>
"Dem old radiocarbon blues", "potassium-argon-argon-potassium, where
we gonna end", "Baby, baby, it's called thermoluminescence, we got it,
like we will forever", "She left me, it was only Optically Stimulated
Luminescence", and the old social whirl "Obsidian Hydration Dating,
Cation Ratio Dating, Patination Dating, and Cosmic-ray Exposure
Dating"