Researched
Musical Instruments
Bone and ivory flutes from caves in Germany are the oldest known instruments: music is as old as cave art.
Open in the interactive tree →Flutes from Hohle Fels and Geißenklösterle in the Swabian Jura, made from vulture bone and mammoth ivory, are about 35,000 to 43,000 years old and have finger holes for several notes. They show that early modern humans invested time in music, probably for ritual and bonding.
Prerequisites
- Art & Symbols~73,000 years ago
Unlocks
- Musical Notation~1025
Not fully verified: The dates of the Swabian flutes range from about 35,000 to 43,000 years depending on the source.