Shells found in Spain could be among oldest known musical instruments

Researchers uncover ancient shells with potential for oldest known musical instruments in Spain.

Miquel López García's fascination with conch shell trumpets began as a child, listening to his father's family blow them to warn of rising rivers and floods. Years later, the University of Barcelona researcher made history by coaxing powerful tones from eight intact conch-shell trumpets found in Neolithic settlements and mines in Catalonia. These 6,000-year-old shells are not only remarkably resilient but also display "characteristically potent sound" that could shed new light on the lives of people living in north-east Spain at that time.

López García's colleague Margarita Díaz-Andreu suggests that these shell trumpets were used as long-distance communication devices and rudimentary musical instruments, challenging the conventional notion that music emerged later as an aesthetic expression. The researchers argue that the shells' unique shape and size enable them to produce distinct tones, with the addition of hand placement altering pitch levels.

The discovery of 12 large conch-shell trumpets could redefine our understanding of the earliest human musical technology. By experimenting with the shells, López García found he could alter their tone by placing his hand into the opening or changing the sound produced by blowing air through. This innovative approach may unlock new insights into how ancient cultures used these primitive instruments.

The researchers' groundbreaking study proposes that conch-shell trumpets may have served multiple purposes: facilitating communication between communities and within agricultural landscapes. The possibility of workers in variscite mines using the shells adds another layer to our understanding of their cultural significance.

While López García acknowledges that these shell trumpets were likely used primarily for functional purposes, such as warning or communication, he believes they also possess melodic capacity and could have been used for expressive music-making. This raises questions about the origins of human musical expression: was it driven by necessity or a desire to create bonds through art? López García reflects on these themes, drawing parallels between his own experiences with conch-shell trumpets and the evolving role of music in society.

The ancient shell trumpets stand as a testament to our ancestors' ingenuity and creative expression. By embracing this newfound understanding of their significance, we can gain deeper insights into the complex relationships between culture, technology, and human emotion – and perhaps even uncover the roots of music's enduring power to connect us across time and space.

I'm so stoked about these ancient shells ! I mean, 6,000 years ago, people were already using conch-shell trumpets as musical instruments? That's just mind-blowing ! It's crazy to think that the sound we associate with music today was probably used for way more than just making tunes – like warning of floods and stuff. I love how this researcher is challenging our conventional thinking about the origins of music, and it's so cool that they're exploring the connection between culture, tech, and human emotion . It's like, we always think of music as something new and modern, but these ancient shells are showing us that music has been a part of human life for way longer than we thought ! Anyway, I'm just hyped to see where this discovery takes us #MusicThroughTheAges #AncientShells #ResilientSounds

dude what a wild find these ancient shell trumpets are straight up mind blown if you think about it people have been using these bad boys for 6000 yrs like that's crazy they could've been communicating over long distances like ancient radios lol can't wait to see how this changes our understanding of music's origins

I'm so stoked about this discovery! I mean, think about it, 6,000 years ago people were already experimenting with making music out of conch shells? That's like, ancient civilizations had some serious coolness. Reminds me of my grandma's old gramophone, you know? She used to play those old records and I'd just sit there mesmerized by the sound. These shell trumpets are like the OG instruments or something.

And can you believe that these conch shells were being used for more than just noise-making? Like, maybe they were actually warning people about floods or something? That's so cool! My dad used to tell me stories about how his grandfather would blow those old horn things to warn of storms. I wish I could hear it now...

Anyway, this discovery is like, totally blowing my mind (pun intended) and I'm loving the fact that it's bringing back memories of my childhood listening to those old records with my grandma. There's just something so special about hearing music from a different time period...

OMG, can u believe these 6k y.o shells r still able 2 produce sound? I mean, think about it, our ancestors were literally using conch shell trumpets as comms devices & musical instruments all those yrs ago! This changes EVERYTHING I love how López García experimented with the shells to alter tones, like hand placement & air flow. It's crazy 2 see how ancient cultures r still full of surprises . And can we talk about how these shell trumpets might've played a role in variscite mines? Like, what kinda vibes did the workers create when they were toilin' away with those shells?

I mean, can you believe it? These ancient conch-shell trumpets are literally 6,000 years old! I was listening to those things when I was a kid (well, more like hearing my dad play them), but I had no idea they were that old. The fact that these researchers were able to coax powerful tones out of 'em is mind-blowing. I love how they're exploring the possibility that these shells weren't just used for warning or communication, but also for music-making. It's like, our ancestors were already experimenting with sound and rhythm, even back then! And can you imagine being part of a community where music was used to bring people together? That's seriously cool. I'm totally stoked to learn more about this discovery and see how it changes our understanding of human history.

I mean, can you imagine hearing ancient sounds from conch shell trumpets? It gives me chills just thinking about it! The fact that these 6,000-year-old shells still have "characteristically potent sound" is mind-blowing. It's crazy to think that our ancestors were using them for more than just communication, but also for music and maybe even emotional expression? I love how this discovery challenges our conventional understanding of the origins of music. Maybe it was all about community bonding and shared experiences? What do you guys think?

think about it, 6k yrs old musical instruments just blows my mind like what was life like back then? the fact that these shells could produce powerful tones & were used for both communication & music is wild. i mean, who knew conch shell trumpets had so much depth to them? gotta wonder how many other ancient civilizations discovered similar tech & passed it down through generations... also kinda cool to think about how our ancestors might've seen the connection between sound & warning, like their dads blowing those shells to alert of floods

omg u gotta read about these ancient shell trumpets in spain!! they're like 6k yrs old! can u believe it? researchers found them in neolithic settlements & mines & they're still makin powerful tones lol. miquel López García's a genius, experimented with 'em & figured out how to change the sound by placin ur hand in or out. now we know these shells were prob used 4 more than just warnin' people of floods . maybe they even had their own version of jam sessions? it's like, music's been around forever & it's still connectin us 2gthr

I'm loving this! I mean, who knew conch shells could make such sweet sounds ? The fact that these ancient shells were used for both communication and music is just mind-blowing. I can imagine the Neolithic people in Catalonia using them to warn each other about floods or to share news over long distances. And then, when they blew into them, it was like a natural instrument ! It's so cool that this researcher, Miquel López García, was able to experiment with the shells and discover all these new sounds.

I think what I love most about this discovery is how it makes us rethink our understanding of music history. We've always thought that music emerged as a form of self-expression, but maybe it's more complex than that ? Maybe music has always been used to connect people, whether it was for practical reasons or just because it felt good .

It's also really interesting to think about how these ancient cultures might have seen the connection between music and emotion. Did they use music to comfort each other, to celebrate, or to warn of danger? So many questions! But what I do know is that this discovery has me itching to try out some conch shell trumpets myself

man i'm loving this discovery ! think about it, 6k yrs old shell trumpets that could make music? it's mind boggling. López García is a genius for figuring out how to make these ancient shells produce sound again . but what's really cool is how these conch-shell trumpets might've been used way back then - like, were they just warning signals or was there some kind of ritual involved? i mean, can you imagine hearing the sound of those shell trumpets echoing through the ancient landscape? it gives me chills . anyway, this find is a total game-changer for understanding how music evolved and how our ancestors used sound to connect with each other .

just think about it, these ancient shells were already making beautiful sounds all those 6k yrs ago who knew our ancestors were so musically inclined? maybe we can learn from their simplicity & creativity... instead of overcomplicating things, they just made music with what they had

omg u gotta imagine listening 2 these ancient conch shell trumpets blowing through them 6k yrs ago in catalonia it's like they're calling out 2 us from the past, all this new discovery is mind blowin' the way López García brought those shells 2 life is just insane, i mean, can u even imagine how powerful sound these must've made? it's not just about music, it's about how people communicated, worked together, & expressed themselves back then it's like we're getting a glimpse into their world, all those unanswered questions about human musical expression... was it necessity or passion that drove the creation of music? i'm low-key obsessed w/ this story

omg u think its wild that ppl in 6000 yrs ago used conch shells like trumpets i mean they were basically doing their own version of a party but seriously what if this is proof that music was always a part of human culture, not just something we do today? it makes me wonder how many other ancient things we're still missing out on

omg you know i'm literally so stoked about this discovery like who knew ancient humans were already rockin' conch shell trumpets? 6,000 years old is crazy! i think it's amazing how these researchers are redefining our understanding of human musical technology. I mean, we've always thought of music as something artistic, but what if it was actually born out of necessity and community building? that's such a cool perspective. and can you imagine the sound those conch shell trumpets made? it's like they were already using instruments to connect with each other on a deeper level. i'm all about uncovering the roots of music's power to bring us together

omg like who knew shells could make sounds so old news lol but seriously these ancient shell trumpets are giving me life! imagine having to warn people of floods with a conch shell trumpet anyway i'm intrigued by the idea that these instruments might have been used for more than just warnings, maybe they were like the original jam sessions

I don’t usually comment but I think it’s so cool that these ancient shells could actually make sounds ! I mean, we always think of ancient civilizations as being super primitive, but this conch-shell trumpet thing is like whoa . It's crazy to think that these people were already experimenting with sound and communication devices 6,000 years ago.

I don’t know about the whole "music emerged later" thing, I feel like this changes everything . If ancient humans were already using these shells for music, it makes sense that their cultures would have been super rich in art and expression. It's also wild to think about how these shell trumpets could've played a role in warning systems and communal gatherings .

I don’t usually get into music theory but I can imagine that the shape of those shells must be pretty unique . And the fact that you can change the tone by placing your hand inside or something is just mind-blowing . Who knows, maybe we'll discover more ancient instruments like this and our understanding of human history will shift .

I'm like totally fascinated by this discovery! Can you imagine hearing those conch shell trumpets blowin' away 6,000 years ago in north-east Spain? It's wild that these shells could produce "characteristically potent sound" just by altering hand placement or air flow. I mean, who knew our ancient ancestors were so into tech like that? It's all about understanding how culture and technology intersected back then. And the idea that they might've used these shell trumpets for more than just warning people about floods... that's like, totally mind-blowing! Maybe we can learn from their creative expression and how music brought people together in the past? That'd be pretty cool to explore further

oh my goodness, can you imagine hearing those sounds 6,000 years ago? it gives me chills thinking about how our ancestors used these shells for more than just functional purposes... like warning floods, but also maybe even creating music together as a community! that's so beautiful and powerful. and I love how miquel López García is exploring the connection between music, culture, and human emotion - it makes me think of all the times we use music to express ourselves and connect with others, but in a way that's even more ancient and primal than that...