Hunters Made Duck-Bone Bird Calls 12,000 Years Ago
Archaeological findings in northern Israel reveal prehistoric flutes made from duck bones that shed light on early hunting practices. According to a recent study published in Scientific Reports, these 12,000-year-old flutes were crafted to imitate the calls of specific birds.
Researchers suggest that these flutes served multiple purposes, including communication, musical performance, and even attracting birds within hunting range.
Transforming Duck Bones into Flutes
The flutes were discovered at Eynan-Mallaha, a cultural site in Israel’s Hula Valley. This area was once inhabited by the Natufian culture, the first sedentary hunter-gatherers in the region. Analysis of previous excavations in the early 2000s revealed numerous bird bones, indicating that the Natufians hunted birds, particularly waterfowl, for sustenance and other uses.
Upon reevaluation, archaeologists discovered that some of these bird bones contained bored holes. Researchers identified intact and fragmented wing bones with mouthpieces and finger holes, showing signs of use. These bone instruments, less than three inches long, were all made from Eurasian teal and coot bones. The Natufians likely hunted these ducks, as well as larger species like waterfowl and birds of prey, such as mallards.
Lead author Laurent Davin notes that these instruments are among the smallest prehistoric sound devices discovered to date. With residues of ocher and evidence of use-wear, it’s likely that they were painted and attached to strings, potentially worn as adornments.
Calling Birds with Flutes
To understand how the Natufians utilized these wind instruments worn on lanyards, researchers created replicas using mallard bones. The replicas produced high-quality and high-pitched notes, leading to the hypothesis that the flutes were used to imitate bird calls.
However, upon analyzing the notes, the authors discovered that the frequencies produced by the flutes closely resembled the calls of two raptor species, not ducks. Therefore, the authors believe that these aerophones were crafted to reproduce the calls of the prized Common kestrel and Sparrowhawk.
While these bird-bone flutes likely fulfilled musical roles as hunter-gatherer cultures transitioned into sedentary lifestyles, they may have also served as decoys to lure birds within shooting range. The manipulation of sounds could have played significant roles in various aspects of Natufian socio-cultural practices such as hunting, communication, and ritual behaviors.
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