Could this 43,000 year old bone of a cave bear be a musical instrument? If so, it could be evidence that Neanderthals were musically-inclined!
The Divje Babe flute is a cave bear femur pierced by spaced holes that was found at the Divje Babe archeological park located near Cerkno in northwestern Slovenia. It has been suggested that it is the world’s oldest known musical instrument, but this is in dispute. The continuing dispute notwithstanding, the artifact remains on prominent public display as a flute in the National Museum of Slovenia (Narodni Muzej Slovenije) in Ljubljana. The museum’s visitor leaflet maintains that manufacture by Neanderthals “is reliably proven”.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by rappin.
If that's true it's even more amazing. Not only would Neanderthals have been musically inclined, they would have developed something close to what we have.