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Oldest playable musical instruments found at Jiahu early Neolithic site in China

Author

Listed:
  • Juzhong Zhang

    (Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Henan Province
    Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Garman Harbottle

    (Brookhaven National Laboratory)

  • Changsui Wang

    (Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Zhaochen Kong

    (Paleobotany Laboratory, Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica)

Abstract

Excavations at the early Neolithic site of Jiahu1,2 in Henan Province, China have produced what may be the earliest complete, playable, tightly-dated multinote musical instruments. Jiahu was occupied from 7000 BC to 5700 BC, considerably antedating the well known Peiligang culture3,4,5. Here we describe six exquisitely made complete flutes which were found in radiocarbon-dated excavation layers, along with fragments of perhaps 30 more. The flutes are made from the ulnae of the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis Millen) and have 5, 6, 7 and 8 holes. The best preserved flute has been played and tonally analysed. In addition to early musical artefacts, the archaeological record at Jiahu1,2 contains important information on the very foundations of Chinese society. We describe the archaeological characteristics of the Jiahu site, details concerning its dating, its place in the prehistory of the Chinese Neolithic, the ethnicity of its population and the results of a tonal analysis of a nearly 9,000-year-old musical instrument found there.

Suggested Citation

  • Juzhong Zhang & Garman Harbottle & Changsui Wang & Zhaochen Kong, 1999. "Oldest playable musical instruments found at Jiahu early Neolithic site in China," Nature, Nature, vol. 401(6751), pages 366-368, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:401:y:1999:i:6751:d:10.1038_43865
    DOI: 10.1038/43865
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    Cited by:

    1. Julyan H. E. Cartwright & Diego L. González & Oreste Piro, 2021. "Dynamical Systems, Celestial Mechanics, and Music: Pythagoras Revisited," The Mathematical Intelligencer, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 25-39, March.

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