Oldest string instrument found (in Western Europe)

Subject: Oldest string instrument found
From: michaelr
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 01:41 PM

Archaeologists and music experts believe they have found the remains of the earliest stringed instrument ever found in Western Europe – dating to more than 2,300 years ago – at the excavation of Uamh An Ard Achadh (High Pasture Cave) on the Island of Skye.

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 02:51 PM

Interesting! Thanks for the link.

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 03:00 PM

very interesting!

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 03:15 PM

Looks like a broken five string bridge to me.

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 03:47 PM

The broken off top of the piece could possibly have added a couple of notches, so it could represent a 5 or 6 string bridge. The apparent size of the notches suggests a fairly heavy string, and for a good sound, even to prehistoric standards that might be expected**, a fairly long string would have been necesary to be compatible with the implied string diameters.

Conclusion: It's a bridge off a 5-string stand up bass.

Next question: Where's the %@$@#! banjo for the lead player?

** Development of a "sophisticated" instrument of the kind suggested by the piece would have been unlikely unless a "pleasant sound" was produced, so unless the diggers can come up with a bow the strings would have to have been long enough to "sound" (at relatively low tension) with some "strength" when plucked (or whacked hard?). The multiple notches - if they're in fact for strings - suggest a multi-tonal "music" although speculating about harmonic relationships between multiple strings in that time is something of a stretch until additional evidence can be produced.

Maybe there's a juke box back in the back of the cave somewhere, so that someday we'll hear their recordings?

John

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found
From: Brian May
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 03:50 PM

Oh for Heaven's sake don't tell them that on the Martin website, they're convinced that the oldest stringed instrument was made in USA in 1833 . . .

Marvellous, music settles the savage soul, always did and still does.

Have fun

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 04:57 PM

I really enjoyed the sound of the one they made which they surmise might be similar to the original. Thanks, very interesting!

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found (in Western Europe)
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 05:21 PM

I imagine the tune that accompanied the piglet sacrifice had more minors in it than the tune he was demonstrating, though.

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found (in Western Europe)
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 01 Apr 12 - 11:40 AM

JohnInKansas's theory that it's off a string bass ia interesting. High Pasture cave where it was found is near Loch Slappin' on Skye.
So that tells us what it sounded like!

Ray

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found (in Western Europe)
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler
Date: 01 Apr 12 - 06:08 PM

What date is it?

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found (in Western Europe)
From: Don Firth
Date: 01 Apr 12 - 06:28 PM

Somewhere around 300 B.C.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Oldest string instrument found (in Western Europe)
From: banjoman
Date: 03 Apr 12 - 06:22 AM

Looks like the bridge of my old Windsor Banjo which was lost in Scotland about 50 years ago.
Seriously, anything with notches could be from a musical instrument, like wise could be from an early carding (combing)machine used to prepare wool for weaving.