Archaeologists Bring Out Near-Perfect Notes From a 17,000-Yr-Old Conch Shell Thought to Be a Drinking Vessel

Archaeologists in France have accomplished a stunning feat related to an astonishing conch shell. Originally discovered in 1931, the conch shell was first thought to be nothing more than a mere ceremonial drinking vessel. However, a new analysis by a team from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) revealed that the shell had been knowingly altered to produce sound. Intriguingly, when a professional musician was invited to play the shell, the results were impressive, stated BBC.

The researchers found that early humans had intricately cut a hole at one end of the shell, allowing for the insertion of a mouthpiece, and had also made deliberate incisions to allow modulation of the sound. They have coaxed almost-perfect musical notes from a 17,000-year-old conch shell, revealing a stunning link between prehistoric music and art, stated BBC. The ancient wind instrument, discovered in the Marsoulas Cave in the French Pyrenees, has redefined what we know about Upper Paleolithic musical traditions.

Philippe Walter from Sorbonne University remarked, "The intensity produced is amazing, approximately 100 decibels at one meter. And the sound is very directed in the axis of the aperture of the shell." This discovery marks the oldest known wind instrument of its kind. While bone flutes dating back 40,000 years have been found in Europe, no other example of a conch shell horn from the Paleolithic period has ever been located or identified. The shell itself, from the species Charonia lampas, is a prized possession, as the nearest coastline where it could have been found lies over 200 kilometers away. The interior of the shell features red ochre fingerprint-like markings that match the style of the cave’s wall paintings, stated Science Advances.

Gilles Tosello, from the University of Toulouse, explained, "This establishes a strong link between the music played with the conch and the images, the representations, on the walls. To our knowledge, this is the first time we can put in evidence a relationship between music and cave art in European pre-history," stated BBC.

Further details and pieces of evidence indicate that shell horns played a major role in social, day-to-day ritualistic activities. Anthropologists and ethnomusicologists could not agree more. They believe that music is deeply connected to human rituals and celebrations. The discovery of this unique conch shell, with its intricate deep, and resonant sound, facilitates a glimpse into the musical dimension of Upper Paleolithic society that was previously frolicking in the dark abyss.

To preserve and further study the instrument without damaging the original, researchers have done a tremendous job in creating a 3D-printed replica, according to BBC. Carole Fritz, the lead CNRS scientist on the project weighed in and shared, "The sound of this conch is a direct link with Magdalenian people…” This will allow them to explore the musical possibilities of the shell in greater depth and expand their understanding of the musical situations and other important details of that era and others coinciding with it.