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Greek Philosopher Pythagoras with overlay of woodcut showing Pythagoras with bells, a kind of glass harmonica, a monochord and (organ?) pipes in Pythagorean tuning. From Theorica musicae by Franchino Gaffurio, 1492 (1480?)	Source: Khuram Ibn Sabir/Adobe Stock, overlay Bibliothèque nationale de France/Public Domain

Pythagoras’ Claim of Universal Musical Harmony is Wrong, Finds Study

Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras posited that "consonance," a harmonious combination of notes, arises from specific relationships between simple numbers like 3 and 4. While scholars have...
Book of Gregorian chants within a cathedral. Source: Ivan / Adobe Stock

Harmonies from Heaven: Tracing the Origins of the Gregorian Chant

Enter the ethereal realm of Gregorian chant, a venerable form of liturgical music that resonates through the corridors of time. Originating in the early Christian period, this sacred musical...
Representational image of a medieval troubadour. Source: artemstepanov / Adobe Stock

The Chivalrous Melodies and Colorful Lives of the Medieval Troubadours

From the 11th to 14th centuries, medieval Europe was home to a class of poet-musicians known as troubadours. They started out in Occitania in the 11th century before spreading across much of the...
Representational image of an aboriginal man playing a didgeridoo. Source: Mockup Station / Adobe Stock

The Aboriginal Didgeridoo Was a Tool for Healing and Peace

Never has it been more important to search for clues to finding healing and peace in the world. With that in mind, it appears that within ancient Aboriginal societies the didgeridoo is believed to...
Rastafarian playing reggae music. Source: Victor / Adobe Stock

Reggae Music Lyrics are Intimately Linked to Historic Babylon

Next time you find yourself swaying along to Bob Marley’s Exodus , pay attention to the lyrics. “We know where we’re going. We know where we’re from. We leaving Babylon. We going to our Father’s Land...
Snake charming in India. Source: nilanewsom / Adobe Stock.

The Ancient Indian Art of Snake Charming (Video)

Snake charming , deeply rooted in India's rich history, is a practice that has evolved over centuries. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times when it was often associated with mysticism and...
Music in Luray Caverns. Source: KLugo / Adobe Stock.

Real Live Cave Music: Marvel at the World's Largest Instrument (Video)

Deep within Luray Caverns , Virginia, USA, an astonishing fusion of music and nature awaits: the Great Stalacpipe Organ. This extraordinary instrument defies expectations, utilizing delicate...
Mongolian Throat Singing. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Great Big Story.

The Incredible World of Mongolian Throat Singing (Video)

Among the world's oldest musical forms, Mongolian throat singing emerges as a captivating embodiment of human skill and rich cultural heritage. Dating back to antiquity , this ancient tradition...
Left, Lime-working pit. Right; Early Medieval grave at Nola.    Source: Soprintendenza Napoli

Medieval Roman Colony Found in Nola: Hub of Arts & Crafts

An epic medieval archaeological site has emerged on Nola's outskirts! Italian heritage authorities have excitedly announced that a recently discovered center of craft production and trade might “...
Renata Flores sings in Quechua to save an ancient language. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Great Big Story.

Quechua: Saving an Ancient Language Through Pop Music (Video)

Renata Flores, the 16-year-old musical prodigy hailing from Peru, has emerged as a beacon of hope for a language on the brink of fading into oblivion. Amidst the shadows of discrimination and...
Traditional Burundian drummers perform at a public event in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura (Andreas31 / CC by SA 3.0)

Burundi Drums Beat the Ancient Memories of Unity (Video)

The tradition of Burundi drums holds a profound cultural significance that stretches back through the ages. These remarkable instruments, known as "Goma," have been an integral part of the country's...
The cow’s head on the Silver Lyre. Source: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bask in the Beauty and Melody of the Ancient Mesopotamian Lyres of Ur

It is unknown which culture was the first to create music, but a set of beautiful Sumerian instruments from the city of Ur provide us with some insight into the world of ancient music. Over 4,000...
The Burton Agnes drum. Source: Chris Trebble / CC by SA 4.0.

The Burton Agnes Drum Changed our Understanding of Prehistoric Britain (Video)

The recent discovery of a 5,000-year-old chalk drum in the UK has transformed our understanding of prehistoric Britain . Unearthed during an excavation near Burton Agnes in East Yorkshire, the drum...
Roman sculpture showing detachable head. Source: giorgio/ Adobe Stock

Romans Cleverly Used Interchangeable Heads on Their Statues

Museums are filled with the captivating spectacle of bodiless heads and headless bodies dating back to Roman times. “Headless, these statues invoke a sense of mystery and fragmentation, allowing us...
Bone ‘aerophones’ or flutes from Eynan-Mallaha. Source: Laurent Davin et al/ Nature

Using These 12,000-Year-Old Flutes, Did Humans Speak With Raptors?

An archaeological site in Israel was excavated in the 1950’s, but somehow, a collection of 12,000-year-old bone flutes didn’t surface. Last year a team of researchers returned to excavate the site...
Poetry, song, and comedy was a way to deal with reality in medieval times.  Source: Ruslan Batiuk/Adobe Stock

Professor Discovers Oldest Script for Stand-Up Comedy in Scottish Library

A Cambridge academic found a rare 15th-century manuscript in Scotland, revealing the oldest medieval stand-up comedy. Apparently, they had jokes and laughter back then too! Not even Chat GPT knows...
Divje Babe flute (Peter Milosevic / CC by SA 4.0)

Ancient Harmonies: Neanderthal's 60,000-Year-Old Flute (Video)

In 1995, archaeologist Ivan Turk made a groundbreaking discovery in the Divje Babe cave located in Slovenia. Among the remnants of a Neanderthal fire pit, as well as stone and bone tools, Turk...
Indian Tanpura. Source: Arash / Adobe Stock.

India’s Ancient Instruments Made from Pumpkins (Video)

The Abdul Majeed family has been hand-carving musical instruments out of pumpkins for seven generations, a craft that has been practiced for almost 200 years in the city of Mirage, in Western India...
The ancient storyteller known as a griot uses their voice, sounds and music to tell stories about the past.  Source: tomalu/AdobeStock

Singer-Storytellers: The Griot Tradition in West Africa

Griots, also known as jeli or bards , are traditional West African storytellers who have played a crucial role in preserving the oral history and cultural heritage of their communities for centuries...
The artifacts are believed to have been used as deer antler instruments. Source: F. Z. Campos / Antiquity

Ancient Deer Antler Instruments Discovered in Vietnam After 3,000 Years

Our prehistoric ancestors were very busy people, but they must have known how to chill in between chores, to relax and recharge. It’s well known to science that our cave dwelling forebears gorged on...
Striking the Right Note - Rare Bone Flute Unearthed in Kent

Striking the Right Note - Rare Bone Flute Unearthed in Kent

A pre-development dig by Cotswold Archeology at Herne Bay in Kent, England, has uncovered evidence of settlement from the Bronze Age to the Roman period and again in the medieval period. One of the...
A man playing a fantastic pig organ, or piganino, composed of screaming pigs. Source: British Museum / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Louis XI Enjoyed an Abominable Orchestra of Squealing Pigs - the Piganino

Believe it or not, but it appears that the ruthless 15th century King Louis XI of France, nicknamed the Spider King or l'universelle araignée , took pleasure in the torture of animals. One particular...
Archaeoacoustics and Ancient Architecture: Megaliths, Music and the Mind

Archaeoacoustics and Ancient Architecture: Megaliths, Music and the Mind

Before introducing the Big Question, let’s ponder a minute. Isn’t it amazing that for hundreds of thousands of years, all of humankind lived the same way everywhere on Earth. We were all indigenous...
The Medieval Origins of The Carol: How Christmas Songs Have Survived Through the Centuries

How Christmas Carols Have Survived the Centuries

Singing and Christmas seem to go naturally together, like plum pudding and custard. Even those who would not normally attend a choir concert or church service throughout the year might happily...

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