The bone flute is a simple instrument made from the bones of various animals. The bone flute is widely regarded as the world’s oldest instrument by historians. Some versions of the instrument have been discovered that date back 40,000 years.
A bone flute can be made from a variety of different types of bone from almost any species. Many of these instruments were made from the bones of birds, particularly larger birds such as carrion or prey birds. Bear femurs were used to make other models. According to some scientists, bone flutes made from mammoth or similar species bones have also been discovered.
Some bone flutes are simply long bone pieces glued together to form a cylinder, or a single piece hollowed out and drilled with holes. As historians examine various bone flutes and fragments of these instruments, they notice increasingly complex designs carved into the bone, indicating an early music maker’s desire to embellish their flutes. Archaeologists and others can learn a lot about a time period from the craftsmanship of these items.
Bone flutes can have a rather advanced and complex construction, according to experts in the field. The makers had to make two similar pieces and combine them to make a bone flute out of some bones. It was also a major challenge to place the holes in the right places for certain tonal sounds. Historians frequently consider the precision with which sound holes in the flute are placed as another indicator of progress in a given era or historic culture.
Those researching past eras can also use a bone flute to add to their theories about our forefathers. Some argue that the flutes were used to create music that allowed certain groups of humans to thrive and dominate within a primitive world region. Anthropologists can use contemporary examples of martial music to support this theory.
Although it is well known that the bone flute is a very old instrument, the exact age of these items is unknown. Many historians disagree about whether bone flutes were also made during the Neanderthal period. The characteristics of different finds do not always allow for precise dating, and the origin of the bone flute is a point of contention.