Ancient Bone Flutes Mimic Birds of Prey Sounds.

Archaeologists have discovered a collection of 12,000-year-old flutes made of bird bones at a prehistoric site in Israel. The flutes, which mimic the calls of certain birds of prey, were likely used for hunting, music, or even communication with the birds. The Natufians, a cultural group that were the last hunter-gatherers in the Levant, created the flutes by selecting small bones to produce high-pitched sounds similar to those made by falcons. The flutes are the oldest sound instruments imitating bird calls in the world and demonstrate the Natufians' knowledge of acoustics and technical precision.