Here is pictures showing an attempt to reproduce a possible flute,
a 10000 years old little wonder, found in the Kent's Cavern, Torquay, South West Britain,
made out a hare leg bone, and held in the british museum actually...
(Click on the pics if you want them bigger)
Cause the flute was really old,
and we didn't know if some strange holes have been made willingly,
I've made three flutes:
- One with a first hare bone, and all the finger holes,
- One with a second hare bone, but only with the holes I felt usefull
(avoiding a very tiny one on the front, and two "side" ones, looking not easy to reach),
- And finally one with all the holes, but with a chicken bone,
(to make a flute the same size of the old flute, the hare bones being shorter than the original)...
First, I've cut the head of the bones
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...And cleaned the inside (fresh hare marrow gave my workshop a great ambient fragrance)
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With the plan I've drawn, I've tried to put the holes on the bones
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...At least as closely as possible, cause the original bone was not similar in lenght and shape to my three ones.
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Then, I've drilled the holes
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...And made the sound edges.
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....And finally, here are the flutes ! |
Thanks mister hare. |
CONCLUSIONS:
Like I've thought, the two flutes with all the seven holes doesn't play at all,
or just a light high airy sound,
except if you succeed to cover them all, that is very hard
(so we can guess they was not made in an ergonomic purpose).
In fact, making our regular "modern" wood flutes, it's the same:
When a tiny hole, or a simple leak is present on the top of the bore,
the flute won't play, or will give a jumpy high sound.
On the other hand, the one with fewer holes
(four in fact, ending more naturally under the fingers),
was able to produce a few sounds.
Nothing very exceptional, but well,
enough to say it could certainly be an instrument.
My thoughts:
The kent's cavern flute was surely a flutemaking attempt (what else ?).
But the "extra" holes make it fail.
Three possibilties for me:
- The man who've made the flute have added some more holes to experiment
(just for a try, or because he was unable to make a sound in a "regular" four holes configuration).
- These holes are an accident (age, animals, or someone else post intervention)
- These holes have been made as an ornemental purpose,
to, perhaps, put a cord through them (the two "sides" ones) and hold the flute as a necklace.
In this case, the tiny remaining hole could be just an accident (deterioration, or try),
or a regular playing hole, cause you can cover it with another hole with the same finger.
I would add also that, regarding the small size of the flute,
we can guess it was made either for (or by) a kid, for (or by) a woman,
or simply because humans have smaller hands (and size ?) at this time and place.
Dale
(Click to ge a printable version)
