Musicality is a uniquely human capacity, with singing, dancing, and construction being universal phenomena shared by all known living societies (Jiménez, 2021, p. 18). At some point, humans produced or heard a sound worthy of note and felt the need to reproduce it. This marked the origin of music, though its exact beginnings can never be known, as "the oldest sound manifestation does not imply the use of musical instruments but rather dates back to human vocal emissions and bodily percussion" (Sánchez, 2019, p. 198).
The first humans created the earliest musical instruments and thus were precursors to music. Understanding its origins is knowing about the beginning of something that accompanies us every day of our lives and has existed much longer than we believe. But how do we study it?
Methods for understanding the past of music
In the face of the difficult task of knowing the beginnings of music, various disciplines come into play to complete the mosaic.
Musical archaeology deals with material evidence (Jiménez, 2021, p. 19). Archaeological contexts confirm interpretations and also allow for hypothesizing about the uses and functions of music. From the materials found, we obtain information about culture, though we face the problem of whether the object found is truly musical or related to its practice. Also considered are iconographic sources. They confirm their existence, provide clues about possible execution methods, and allow for a more precise organological construction - thus bringing us closer to how it sounded. However, these must be read from an interpretive rather than literal perspective, as the artist may not have been interested in accurately depicting instruments or may depict something that is not exactly reality but rather a decomposition of myth (Garcia and Jiménez, 2011, pp. 86-88). A clear example is the Venus of Laussel (fig. 1).
There is also archaeoacoustics, which studies soundscapes and the acoustic characteristics of places inhabited and used by humans. There are revealing results about the utilitarian, ritual, or symbolic importance of certain sounds and acoustical parameters (Jiménez, 2021, p. 19). We also know that the locations chosen for rock art within caves and shelters are those with the best acoustics. If a place is not suitable for painting but has good acoustics, it is simply marked with a red dot. On the other hand, spaces where the acoustics are poor are represented by carnivores, while in places with good acoustics herbivorous ungulates are drawn (García and Jiménez, 2011, pp. 95-97).
Another discipline is ethnomusicology. It studies living societies that still preserve primitive customs and ways of life (Sánchez, 2019, p. 199). Through the observation of daily practices or productive processes applying conclusions from archaeological records, the study of material culture in current human groups is conducted to understand the "relationship between materiality and mentality" (García and Jiménez, 2011, p. 89).
According to Angélica Juan, Paula Ramos, and Ángela Jimenez (2015), an example of a rite from an ancestral culture that has reached our days is found in the Maori culture in New Zealand with their famous haka.
From an ethnomusicological perspective, music emerged as a language created by prehistoric beings and was part of their daily life. It occurred during stone carving or tool making or while cutting tree trunks. As playful activities, rhythmic percussion and the interest in imitating natural sounds vocally would develop (Sánchez, 2019, p. 199).
Lastly, we find experimental archaeology. This applies to archeomusicology, and through experimental realization of what is believed to be a musical instrument, hypotheses are proposed to discern whether it is an instrument or not, the exact process of manufacture and morphology, its musical resources and acoustic or sound possibilities, and finally, its uses and functions (García and Jiménez, 2011, p. 95).
Instruments
Regarding materials, there are more than one might suppose. However, two main circumstances prevent their knowledge: possible fabrication in perishable materials and the existence of musical objects whose morphology does not correspond to typical types (Baena et al., 1997, p. 1). Additionally, opinions about a single object differ among specialists due to natural processes such as mechanical abrasions, chemical alterations, or carnivore or rodent actions that modify its appearance (Moreno et al., 2015, p. 66).
A membranophone is an instrument that produces sound through the vibration of a membrane or patch (Sánchez, 2019, p. 202). The use of drums in the Paleolithic period is suspected. Perhaps the artifacts made from antler known as t-staves were drumsticks, and ceramic cups without bottoms or with holes could serve as bases for them (Jiménez, 2021, p. 22-23).
A chordophone generates sound through the vibration of strings. There is no evidence of its existence, though it seems that the simplest derive from bows. Similarly, complex and sophisticated stringed instruments are depicted in iconography from Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean starting from the second half of the 4th millennium BC, suggesting a long construction tradition (Jiménez, 2021, p. 23).
Idiophones produce sound through the vibration of their own body. They exist as direct strikes, where Aurignacian flint blades and perhaps possible uses of calcareous formations in decorated caves from the Gravettian period would be found, and indirect strikes with rattles made from turtle shells or stones (Jiménez, 2021, p. 22). Additionally, there are scrapers, rhombuses, volars, lithophones (Sánchez, 2019, p. 202).
There are two different types of aerophones: those that are blown like flutes (fig. 2) or bone clarinets, dendrites from proboscis or ceramics, and bird bone whistles; and the free ones such as bramaderas (Jiménez, 2021, p. 22). It is believed that the oldest flutes were used to warn of danger. Later they evolved by adding holes, indicating a desire for greater sound variety (Sánchez, 2019, p. 202).
Perforated bones or flutes are the most commonly found instruments. They are usually made from long bone diaphyses of small to medium-sized animals such as birds, rabbits, or deer. Additionally, the raw material seems key for achieving the best sound. Care is taken in selecting species and anatomical parts, as well as the state of the raw material - fresh work (Baena et al., 1997, p. 3).
Conclusions
The long and extensive period we call prehistory was not silent at all. We must understand that it was the time when music began to enter the daily lives of our ancestors. It accompanied them from birth until death. From hearing rhythms and melodies in the womb, to being sung during funerary rites after death. Music was present during hunting, imitating animal sounds, or while learning, as knowledge was likely passed down through generations via unwritten music. The youngest learned their place in the world and reinforced cultural traditions of their communities, fostering a sense of belonging (del Carmen, 2014, 2009). There are not many differences today with our lullabies or children's songs. If a Homo neanderthalensis were on the subway, they would most likely be humming some song just as we do.
Bibliography
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del Carmen, M. 2014. Evolution of pedagogical methods for teaching music throughout history. Revista de Ciencias de la Educación, Artes y Humanidades. 28, 147-159.
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Jiménez, R. et al. 2021. The Sounds of Prehistory: Reflections on Musical Practices in the Paleolithic and Neolithic in Eurasia. University of Barcelona.
Juan, A., et al. 2015. Emotions through the History of Music. University of Seville.
Sag, L. 2009. The Origin of Music. Innovation and Educational Experiences.
Sanchez, V. 2019. The sounds of the past: an approach to musical art in prehistory. ArtyHum: Revista Digital de Artes y Humanidades. 7, 195-204.
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