How Did Music Begin? Theories and the World’s Oldest Known Flutes

The origin of music remains uncertain. Scholars debate whether music came before language, developed alongside it, or emerged after speech. Some theories link music to sexual selection, while others suggest it helped early humans organise work, communicate over distance, build community, practise spirituality, or scare away predators. Charles Darwin proposed in 1871 that music may have evolved through sexual selection, similar to mating calls. Although his view has been widely criticised, modern researchers still explore versions of the theory. Archaeology offers clues but no final answer. The disputed Divje Babe bone, estimated to be at least 40,000 years old, may be an early flute or simply an object marked by animals. The oldest widely accepted instruments are bone and mammoth-ivory flutes found in caves in the Swabian Jura region of Germany. Some Geissenklösterle flutes date back about 43,000 to 39,000 years.

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