A cave site in the French Alps has yielded a set of five bone flutes stained with deep red ochre and inscribed with lunar cycles. Researchers believe these instruments were used during seasonal "Transhumance" gatherings. These prehistoric festivals occurred when nomadic shepherds met to trade, celebrate the opening of mountain pastures, and perform music to protect their flocks.
The flutes are made from the wing bones of large predatory birds and produce a high-pitched, echoing sound designed to carry across mountain valleys. The find suggests that the cultural heritage of mountain music and seasonal migration festivals has roots stretching back to the early Bronze Age.