Near the ruins of My Son Sanctuary, archaeologists have recovered three ritual flutes made from polished bird bone and adorned with small jade inlays. These musical instruments, dating to the early Sa Huynh culture, are thought to be the direct ancestors of the instruments used in modern Kate Festival celebrations by the Cham people.
The placement of the flutes within a stone-lined granary suggests they were used in musical performances designed to 'wake' the rice spirits after the harvest. The presence of jade, a material imported from long-distance trade routes, underscores the high spiritual value placed on these seasonal musical rites. This discovery pushes back the known history of specialized ceremonial music in Southeast Asia by several centuries.