More than 40 bone flutes have been unearthed at Jiahu, a Neolithic site in central China. Dating to roughly 7000–5700 BCE, the crane-wing-bone instruments have five to eight holes and are among the world's earliest known playable instruments. Their early Chinese context challenged foreign-origin claims about flutes and China's seven-note scale. The video argues that they also imply oracle-bone script developed gradually rather than suddenly; that connection is the presenter's interpretation, not an established archaeological conclusion.
Over 40 Jiahu bone flutes challenge foreign-origin claims about Chinese music
Site mentioned
Key facts
- More than 40 bone flutes have been unearthed at Jiahu.
- The flutes have five to eight holes; the key fact's two-to-eight range is not supported by the cited results.
- Dating to roughly 7000–5700 BCE, they are among the earliest known playable instruments and the oldest known instruments from China.
- The finds challenged foreign-origin claims about flutes and China's seven-note scale, rather than conclusively disproving them.
- The video argues that the discovery implies oracle-bone script developed gradually; this is the presenter's interpretation, not an established conclusion of the excavation.
Sources
shufa.pku.edu.cn
Linked in video description
Jiahu (ca. 7000–5700 B.C.)metmuseum.org
The flutes were carved from the wing bone of the red-crowned crane, with five to eight holes capable of producing varied sounds in a nearly ...
Gudi (instrument)en.wikipedia.org
The Jiahu gudi are the oldest known musical instruments from China, dating back to around 6000 BCE. One of the gudi flutes discovered at Jiahu, ...
Oldest playable musical instruments found at Jiahu early ...nature.com
by J Zhang · 1999 · Cited by 197 — The flutes are made from the ulnae of the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis Millen) and have 5, 6, 7 and 8 holes. The best preserved flute has ...
Jiahu Bone Fluteenglish.chnmus.net
About: This flute is made from the wing bone of a bird from the crane family. It is shaped like a long pipe, with a series of seven holes drilled in a straight ...
The early development of music. Analysis of the Jiahu ...cambridge.org
by J Zhang · 2004 · Cited by 76 — The authors present the musical properties of well-preserved bone flutes recently recovered from Jiahu, an early Neolithic site in central ...
Jiahu Bone Flute (贾湖骨笛) | Springer Nature Linklink.springer.com
Jiahu Bone Flute (贾湖骨笛) Download book PDF Download book. Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using ...
Jiahu bone flute - Regional - China Dailyregional.chinadaily.com.cn
This flute is made from the wing bone of a bird from the crane family. It is shaped like a long pipe, with a series of seven holes drilled in a straight line ...
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