Comments on: World’s Oldest Flute Shows First Europeans Were a Musical Bunch

By: Amber Lovett

Amber Lovett — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:07:56 +0000

this was very helpful!!

By: Eliza Strickland

Eliza Strickland — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:03:40 +0000

Stephen — you’ve stumbled across one of DISCOVER’s infamous spoof articles. Check the date on it — April 1, 1997.

I know it’s a little weird to see these articles in our archives, out of context, but there were some clues tucked into the article — like the researcher’s place of employment, Hindenburg University.

By: Amit

Amit — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:31:43 +0000

Just need to make sure before that the flute does not blow into pieces.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:31:23 +0000

“Early humans’ budding culture might have helped them survive while the Neanderthals, which left no concrete evidence of music-making, mysteriously died off.”

I’d like to challenge this statement. There is an much earlier Discover article that indicates even the Neanderthals used musical instruments, including a mammoth tusk “tuba” and nose “bagpipe”. According to the article, these instruments are ~50,000 years old and predate modern humans in Europe.

http://discovermagazine.com/1997/apr/andaoneandauhuh1108

Has this discovery been refuted or overturned? Did modern humans learn from and refine their musical instruments from those created by their Neanderthal cousins? Could these Stone Age people have worked together to form the world’s first Rock band? Anyone?

By: Jumblepudding

Jumblepudding — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:29:13 +0000

I agree. Somebody should play it. I vote Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. I wonder if stone age children who elected to play flute in band were ridiculed the way they are today.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:57:18 +0000

My question is: when does someone blow on this, record it and release the samples for cultural posterity? A flautist with an iron stomach will likely be required for such a gross task, but hey, it’s for humanity’s betterment, right?

Or at the very least 3d scan it and print it from one of those fancy 3d printers.