The Hindu : International : Ice Age flute discovered

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

International

International

Ice Age flute discovered

Berlin: He is better known for his hunting skills, but now it appears that Ice Age man did not merely chase prey, he was also fond of music. German archaeologists revealed on Thursday that they had discovered one of the world's oldest musical instruments, a 35,000-year-old flute carved from the tusk of the now-extinct woolly mammoth. The flute was dug up in a cave in the Swabian Mountains in south-western Germany, and pieced back together again from 31 fragments. Its discovery suggests that Ice Age man, who roamed across Europe during prehistoric times, had precocious aesthetic talents, and probably discovered music far earlier than previously assumed. The flute consisted of two different halves, probably glued together with birch resin. The identity of the maker is a mystery; scientists are also unclear about whether the flute's purpose was recreational or religious. The Swabian Mountains have yielded rich pickings in recent years, including ivory figurines, ornaments and musical instruments. Two smaller flutes made from swan bones have also been unearthed in the same site. Archaeologists believe humans camped in the area in winter and spring. The cave is one of several in the Ach Valley, close to modern-day Stuttgart. The cave complex appears to have been used for thousands of years, and is also littered with the bones of reindeer and bears. —

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