Is music our greatest invention? Experts have produced three notes on an ancient shell once used as a musical instrument. They were the first humans to hear it for thousands of years.
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Ancient horn plays music after 17,000 years
Is music our greatest invention? Experts have produced three notes on an ancient shell once used as a musical instrument. They were the first humans to hear it for thousands of years.
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What's happening?
Scientists found an ancient shell in France. They thought it was a cupThe theory was based on the fact that lots of ancient communities used the shells as goblets for special religious and magical ceremonies.. But they studied it more. They found it was a musical instrument.
Now, it has been played again.
A conchA very large sea snail with a thick spiral shell. It is also the name of the shell itself, which people collect once empty. is a type of shell. Humans have collected shells for thousands of years.
Find out more
This one is 18,000Experts used a method called carbon dating, which uses the carbon in objects to work out how old they are. years old. Scientists know how old it is because it has ancient paint on it.
A team looked at the shell and found it had a mouthpiece.
They asked a French hornA circular brass instrument with a large opening at the end. When uncoiled, the horn is a piece of metal around four metres long. player to come and test out the shell. It worked. The musician played three notes.
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Is music our greatest invention?
Yes! Music is a universal language. It brings us all together. It can cheer us up. It is a great invention!
No. The best inventions are the things that have changed life. They are things like trains, medicine or the internet!
Keywords
Cup - The theory was based on the fact that lots of ancient communities used the shells as goblets for special religious and magical ceremonies.
Conch - A very large sea snail with a thick spiral shell. It is also the name of the shell itself, which people collect once empty.
18,000 - Experts used a method called carbon dating, which uses the carbon in objects to work out how old they are.
French horn - A circular brass instrument with a large opening at the end. When uncoiled, the horn is a piece of metal around four metres long.
Ancient horn plays music after 17,000 years
Glossary
Cup - The theory was based on the fact that lots of ancient communities used the shells as goblets for special religious and magical ceremonies.
Conch - A very large sea snail with a thick spiral shell. It is also the name of the shell itself, which people collect once empty.
18,000 - Experts used a method called carbon dating, which uses the carbon in objects to work out how old they are.
French horn - A circular brass instrument with a large opening at the end. When uncoiled, the horn is a piece of metal around four metres long.