What is the oldest musical instrument

To say exactly what musical instrument was the first in the history of mankind, is impossible. To have survived not all of the information about the musical taste of ancient people in different parts of the world at the same time appeared different musical instruments.

The oldest found musical instrument

Ancient Greek legend tells that the first musical instrument was invented by the God Pan, who was walking in the forest near the river, tore the reed and began to blow. It turned out that the tube cane is able to give enchanting sounds, which evolved into beautiful melodies. Pan cut several of the branches of the cane and combined them together, creating the first instrument is a type of flute.

Thus, the ancient Greeks believed that the first musical device was a flute. Perhaps it is – at least, this is the oldest recorded by the researchers tool. Its oldest copy was found in southern Germany, in the cave Holly Fels, where excavations of a prehistoric human settlement. Only in this place found three flutes carved from mammoth ivory and has a few holes. Also, archaeologists have found fragments, belonging apparently to the same flutes. Radiocarbon Dating helped to determine the age of these instruments, and the oldest has been dated to 40 BC. While it is the most ancient tool that is found on Earth, but there may be other instances simply has not survived to our days.

Similar flutes and pipes were found in Hungary and Moldova, but they were made in 25-22 millennia BC.

Candidates for the title of the most ancient musical instruments

While the flute is the oldest musical instrument, is not excluded, that in fact the first was made drum or any other device. For example, Australian aborigines believe that their national instrument called the didgeridoo is the oldest, its history goes into the history of the indigenous population of this continent, which, according to scientists, comprises from 40 to 70 thousand years. Thus, it is possible that the didgeridoo really is the oldest tool. It is a huge piece of the trunk of eucalyptus, in some cases reaching three metro in length, with hollow core, eaten away by termites.

Since the didgeridoo is always cut from different trunks with different shape, their sound never repeated.

The oldest drums found date back to the fifth Millennium BC, but scholars believe that this is one of the most likely candidates for the title of the first musical instrument. His long history of speaking as the great diversity of modern drums and their almost universal prevalence, and the simple and uncomplicated design that would allow even the most ancient ancestors of the people to play melodies with the help of simple devices. In addition, it is proved that in many cultures, the drum music was a very important part of life: it accompanies all celebrations, weddings, funerals, war.