A new paper by Dr. Laurent Davin, a post-doctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Centre de Recherche Français à Jérusalem (CRJF), and Dr. José-Miguel Tejero, (the University of Vienna and the University of Barcelona, Spain), published in the prestigious journal Nature Scientific Report, uncovers that rare prehistorical objects found in the Huleh Valley in northern Israel, crafted 12,000 years ago, functioned as miniature flutes – and was perhaps used for hunting, music or some form of communication with the birds.

The Eynan/Ain Mallaha site, in the Huleh Valley of northern Israel, was first excavated by a French mission since 1955 and later in 1996–2005 by a joint team from the CRJF and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), directed by François Valla of the Centre nationale de recherche scientifique (CNRS) and Dr. Hamoudi Khalaily of the IAA. In the settlement circular structures, homes of hunter-gatherers, the bones of a variety of animal species, including birds, were found.

As part of the material culture study and funerary offerings at Eynan/Ain Mallaha from the final Natufian period (12,000 ago), Dr. Laurent Davin, examined the bones of birds that were recovered by the excavators. According to Prof. Tal Simmons of Virginia Commonwealth University, most of them are wintering waterfowl. Dr. Davin noticed marks on seven tiny wing bones of Eurasian coots and Eurasian teals. In collaboration with Dr. José-Miguel Tejero, he closely examined these marks and realized they are very tiny holes bored into the hollow bones.

To figure out how the objects were used, the team worked with researchers at the CNRS, (Aurelia Bourbon and Olivier Tourny), to fashion replicas of the originals. As part of an experiment carried out on the replica, They discovered that the instruments produce different sounds and it was concluded that they are flutes. When the sounds were compared with the calls of dozens of birds species that were found in Eynan/Ayn Malaha they proved to resemble those of birds of prey—the Eurasian Sparrowhawk and the Common Kestrel.

One of the theories is that people equipped with the flutes took up a position near waterfowl. When the sparrowhawks and kestrels, attracted by the calls produced by the whistle, approached, the waterfowl took wing and flew off in variety of direction, making them easier to catch.

Source - INN/Twitter - Image - iStock