Tiny Bird Bone Flutes from Prehistoric Natufian People Found in Israel AOC Jewelry News

Levant-region archaeologists have discovered prehistoric flutes believed to be 12,000 years old. The flutes were scattered among a stockpile of 1,100 bird bones and had gone unnoticed since the site’s discovery in 1950.

The flute instruments were discovered at a site called Eynan-Mallaha [also known as Ain Mallaha], located on the shores of Lake Hula in the Huleh Valley of today’s northern Israel. The site is believed to be home to the last hunter-gatherers in the region, says Dr. Laurent Davin, an archaeologist and a post-doctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Flutes of the Natufian People

The Natufian people were a prehistoric group that lived in what is now modern-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and northern Syria around 12,500 to 9,500 BCE. They were known for their advanced hunting and gathering techniques, as well as their unique cultural practices.

Of the more than half a dozen flutes unearthed, which artisans carved out of the bones of small waterfowl, only one was completely intact; it measured less than 2.6 inches (65 millimeters) in length, according to press reports.

These flutes offer an incredible glimpse into the ancient traditions of the Natufian people living in the Levant during a period of great change. We do not yet understand the purpose of the flutes, but speculations are running wild in cyberspace.

We turn to scientist Davin to learn his thoughts. "The Natufians chose those small bones because they wanted the sound to be like this in order to imitate falcon sounds," Davin said. "This demonstrates their knowledge of acoustics and indicates that there were probably other instruments made of perishable materials."