via Antiquity, 21 February 2023: A paper by Campos et al. suggest that two deer antlers discovered in Go O Chua in Vietnam may be some of the earliest examples of musical instruments found in Southeast Asia.
Music likely played an important role within prehistoric societies but can be challenging to study in the absence of evidence for musical instruments. Here, the authors present two deer antlers recovered from the early Metal Age site of Go O Chua in southern Vietnam. A detailed examination of the artefacts, including evidence for use-wear, combined with insights from ethnographic analogies, leads the authors to conclude that the artefacts were single-stringed musical instruments. At least 2000 years old, the Go O Chua artefacts would be the earliest-known examples of chordophones from the region and indicate a long musical tradition. Their identification gives impetus to archaeo-musicological research in Southeast Asia and beyond.
See also:
- ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER 2,000-YEAR-OLD STRINGED INSTRUMENT IN VIETNAM | Heritage Daily, 21 February 2023
- A 2,000-Year-Old Antler In Vietnam May Be Oldest Music Instrument Of Its Kind | IFL Science, 21 February 2023
- 2,000-year-old instrument found in Vietnam is first of its kind | Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb 2023
- 2,000-year-old stringed instrument discovered in Vietnam: researchers | CTV News, 22 Feb 2023
- Antler ‘forgotten’ in museum storage was rare 2,000-year-old instrument, experts say | Miami Herald, 22 Feb 2023
- Researchers in Vietnam Discovered That Two Deer Antlers Languishing in Museum Storage Are Actually 2,000-Year-Old Musical Instruments | ArtNet NEws, 27 Feb 2023
