The 12,000-year-old bird bone flutes recently discovered.
The 1,100 bones were discovered in the Hula Valley in Israel, forming a fascinating collection.
Yet within these relics lay several carefully carved little surprises.
The 12,000-year-old bird bone flutes recently discovered. (Photo:Davin et al., 2023)
The bone-crafted flutes bear the telltale mouth and finger holes of wind instruments like flutes.
Interestingly, the ancient sculptors chose small bones from Eurasian teal and Eurasian coot birds.
Technically and expertly made, it is believed that the flutes were painted and worn around the neck.
Laurent Davin plays a replica bird bone flute. (Photo: Davin et al., 2023)
Additionally, they may have been hunting aidsluring the birds which the Natufians were known to eat.
Regardless, the 12,000-year-old flutes are some of the oldest bird-mimicking instruments ever discovered.
The flutes are a particularly pivotal find for the Near East and an especially exciting opportunity for researchers.
Mapping late/final Natufian sites in the Levant. (Photo:Davin et al., 2023)
Replicas were created to hear the flute sounds.
The flutes were crafted as the Natufians were transitioning their civilization from nomadic to settled and agricultural.
Yet the instruments indicate hunting remained an important and clever task of the era.
This demonstrates their knowledge of acoustics and indicates that there were probably other instruments made of perishable materials.
If you’d like to hear the sound for yourself, scroll down.
Laurent Davin plays a replica bird bone flute.
Mapping late/final Natufian sites in the Levant.
