Archaeologists uncover evidence suggesting ancient conch-shell trumpets found in Spain may have been used for music. In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers Miquel López García and Margarita Díaz-Andreu claim that 12 large shell trumpets discovered in Neolithic settlements and mines in Catalonia could be among the oldest known musical instruments.
Dating back to between 5,500 and 4,000 BC, the shells show signs of intentional modification, including removal of pointed tips and holes for playing. These modifications suggest that they were used as simple musical instruments rather than just communication devices or tools.
The researchers conducted acoustic experiments on eight conch-shell trumpets, which produced surprisingly powerful tones similar to those found in modern brass instruments like the trumpet. The team's findings also revealed that individual shells could be played by changing the shape of their opening and blowing air through them, altering the pitch and timbre.
According to López García, "These are basically among the first instruments – or pieces of sound technology – that we know of throughout all human history." He added that they were similar to modern brass instruments but dated back thousands of years.
Dating back to between 5,500 and 4,000 BC, the shells show signs of intentional modification, including removal of pointed tips and holes for playing. These modifications suggest that they were used as simple musical instruments rather than just communication devices or tools.
The researchers conducted acoustic experiments on eight conch-shell trumpets, which produced surprisingly powerful tones similar to those found in modern brass instruments like the trumpet. The team's findings also revealed that individual shells could be played by changing the shape of their opening and blowing air through them, altering the pitch and timbre.
According to López García, "These are basically among the first instruments – or pieces of sound technology – that we know of throughout all human history." He added that they were similar to modern brass instruments but dated back thousands of years.
and then i saw this news... ancient conch-shell trumpets in spain? who knew our ancestors had such cool tech 
i mean, they were messing with these shells like 7k yrs ago! modifying them to make 'em sound better. that's wild 
it makes me wonder what other old instruments we'll find out there. maybe some ancient flutes or harps? wouldn't that be something? 
So if they're right about these shells being used for music, I'm loving it! Can you imagine listening to ancient folk tunes played on conch-shell trumpets while exploring those Neolithic settlements? 
But at the same time, I'm a bit skeptical about how 'powerful' these tones are. Like, they might not be that different from actual brass instruments, but still, it's ancient tech we're talking about here... and how did they even make them sound that good back then? 
And what if this is just proof of ancient people being super creative and resourceful with stuff? Could be, could be... 
I mean, think about it, these shells were around 5,500-4,000 BC and they've got modifications that suggest they were designed specifically for sound production. That's wild! 
And the fact that they could change the pitch by altering the shape of the shell opening is genius 
. The team's acoustic experiments produced some seriously powerful tones too 
This just goes to show how creative and innovative our ancestors were! 
. Like, can u imagine the concerts they must've had with these bad boys 
. I'm low-key fascinated by how they figured out that individual shells could produce different pitches 
The fact that these ancient instruments were already capable of producing powerful tones similar to modern brass instruments is mind-blowing. I'm curious though, what's next? Are we gonna start using shell trumpets in our daily lives? 
also, 5,500 BC is crazy old, think they might be trying to distract us from something 
. or maybe its just me, but i wonder if these shells were made for more than just music... like, was there a hidden message or code embedded in them? 
Can you believe it? Ancient humans rocking out with conch shells 
and just using conch shells as your amps 
! The idea that they modified the shells to make them playable is like, totally genius 
. And can you even imagine the ancient jam sessions? "Hey Bob, how's the sound?" *toot* "It's a bit off, mate" 
The fact that the shells show signs of intentional modification is also quite intriguing - it speaks to the level of craftsmanship and innovation of our ancient ancestors. I'd love to see more research on this topic and learn about other musical instruments from around the world! 
. I wonder if they even used music as a way to connect with each other or celebrate special occasions? 
. It's wild to imagine people back then playing around with these shells to create different sounds. The fact that individual shells can be played by changing their shape is genius 
. Anyway, I think it's awesome that these discoveries are shedding new light on our ancient past and how people connected with music back then 
I mean think about it, ancient humans were already messing around with musical instruments like 5,500-4,000 BC?! That's crazy. It makes me wonder what kind of tunes they were jamming out to back then. The fact that these conch-shell trumpets can produce powerful tones similar to modern brass instruments is mind-blowing. I'm curious to know more about how they played them - did they have some sort of primitive harmonica or something? And the idea that individual shells could be played by changing their shape and blowing air through them is genius. It's like, who needs technology when you've got ancient humans rocking out with conch shells? 
. Just think about it, ancient folks jamming out to these powerful tones on shells that they modified themselves 
