Location: Divje Babe Cave, Slovenia Attribution: Possibly Neanderthal Material: Bear femur Discovered in the 1990s, this flute-like artifact features holes resembling those used for producing music. If confirmed as a flute, it would suggest that Neanderthals possessed musical traditions. However, some scholars argue these holes might be from animal activity. The Divje Babe flute continues […]
1,600 Generations Ago The oldest undisputed musical instrument is the Hohle Fels Flute discovered in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany’s Swabian Alb in 2008. The flute is made from a vulture’s wing bone perforated with five finger holes.
The Jiahu gudi is the oldest known musical instrument from China. This 8,000 year old flute dates back to circa 6,000 BCE. Gudi literally means “bone flute”.
Oldest Known Flute in China Read More »
