Archaeologists in Germany have discovered bird-bone flute fragments dating back 35,000 years. Published in European Prehistory Today, the discovery suggests that music played a vital role in the social bonding of early modern humans in Europe. The flutes were crafted with precision, featuring finger holes and notched ends for blowing.
This finding pushes back the timeline for complex acoustic expression and indicates that Ice Age hunter-gatherers had a rich cultural life beyond mere survival. The fragments were found alongside ivory carvings of animals, pointing to a flourishing artistic tradition.