Discover the Melodies of the Ancient World’s Earliest Instrument: The Neanderthal Flute

In the late 1990s, a major archaeological finding ignited discussions among specialists. Guided by archaeologist Ivan Turk, a group uncovered a distinctive item at a Neanderthal site in Slovenia. This item, thought to be a flute created from a cave bear cub’s femur, was called the Divje Babe flute in reference to its discovery location. Estimated to be at least 43,000 years old, it was celebrated as the oldest known musical instrument.

Doubt clouded the discovery, given that no other Neanderthal instruments had been found. Some researchers speculated that the holes in the flute might have been formed accidentally, possibly due to animal bites. Nevertheless, Turk dismissed these assertions. Currently, the flute is a key exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana.

In a 1997 article, musicologist Bob Fink suggested that the flute played a role in the development of musical scales. He pointed out that the spacing of the holes corresponded to four notes of a diatonic scale—do, re, mi, fa. Fink proclaimed, “These three notes on the Neanderthal bone flute are inescapably diatonic and will sound like a near-perfect fit within ANY kind of standard diatonic scale, modern or antique.”

In 2011, Ljuben Dimkaroski, a trumpet player from the Ljubljana Opera Orchestra, experimented with a clay replica of the flute. He found a method to play it, generating music that was recorded in a brief film by Sašo Niskač. Dimkaroski performed Slovenian songs, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and Ravel’s “Bolero,” along with improvisations and imitations of animal sounds.

Turk and Dimkaroski propose in their research that the flute, alongside other discoveries from the Divje Babe site, provides insights into the cognitive capacities and symbolic behavior of Neanderthals.

Listen to Ljuben Dimkaroski perform a replica of this ancient flute, which is believed to be the world’s oldest musical instrument.

Sources: Neanderthal Bone Flute Music; Neanderthal Flute: Oldest Musical Instrument’s 4 Notes Matches 4 of Do, Re, MI Scale; The Mousterian Musical Instrument from the Divje babe I cave (Slovenia): Arguments on the Material Evidence for Neanderthal Musical Behaviour; Hear the World’s Oldest Instrument, the “Neanderthal Flute,” Dating Back Over 43,000 Years.