The Geißenklösterle Flute – Discovery, Experiments, Reconstruction

Susanne Münzel/Friedrich Seeberger/Wulf Hein

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG ca. 37,000 BP.3 Excavations at Geissenklösterle started in 1973 with a sondage conducted by Eber- 1973 und 1990 wurden bei archäologischen Aus- hard Wagner (Landesdenkmalamt) and were con- grabungen in der Geißenklösterle-Höhle in Süd- tinued from 1974 until 1991 by Joachim Hahn westdeutschland Reste bearbeiteter Vogelknochen (Fig. 3) (University of Tübingen).4 gefunden, die nach ihrer Zusammensetzung als The site has provided a stratigraphic sequence Flöten erkannt wurden. Die Funde stammen aus from at least 43,000 up to 10,000 BP (Tab. 1). The der Schicht des „Klassischen“ Aurignacien und deepest known layer contains finds from the Mid- wurden auf ein Alter von ca. 35.000 Jahren vor dle Palaeolithic, usually associated with Nean- heute datiert. Weil die Flöten nur unvollständig derthal man. Above lies an Early Aurignacian erhalten sind, wurden sie mehrfach experimentell layer (14C AMS date ca. 38,400 BP and Electron rekonstruiert, um Herstellungstechnik, Tonfolge Spin Resonance [ESR] date ca. 40,200 BP), fol- und Spielbarkeit nachvollziehen zu können. Die lowed by the ‘Classic’ Aurignacian with a large Versuche ergaben, dass es möglich ist, solche klei- area of bone ash which provided four carved ivory nen Knochenflöten ohne spezielles Mundstück ent- figurines depicting human, mammoth, (cave)bear weder als Schrägflöte oder sogar über die Griff- and bison, a limestone pebble painted in three löcher selbst (da diese nicht gebohrt, sondern colours, as well as ivory beads, perforated and geschabt wurden und wie ein Aufschnitt funktio- dyed fish vertebrae and ornamented objects of nieren können) zu spielen. Die Töne sind klar und antler and ivory.5 The art objects from the Auri- deutlich hörbar, ihre Anordnung scheint sich an gnacian of the Geißenklösterle are from the same einer gewissen Tonordnung zu orientieren. Dieser period as the famous finds of mobile art from Fund eines der ältesten Musikinstrumente der Welt caves in Southwestern Germany such as the ivory unterstreicht zusammen mit anderen spekta- figurine of a horse from the Vogelherd and the kulären Entdeckungen aus demselben Gebiet die human figurine with the head of a lion from the Bedeutung des oberen Donau-Raumes für die Ent- Hohlenstein-Stadel in the Lone Valley (Fig 4).6 At wicklung des Jungpaläolithikums in Mitteleuropa. the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic, ‘modern man’, Homo sapiens sapiens appears in Middle Europe, and at this time the origins of art and SUSANNE MÜNZEL music are clearly taking shape. The horizon lying above contains a Gravettian DISCOVERY: occupation in several living floors (14C AMS date THE BONE FLUTES FROM ca. 29,000 BP), while there is only one fireplace THE GEISSENKLÖSTERLE preserved from the Magdalenian in the Geißen- CAVE AND THEIR ARCHAEO- klösterle (14C AMS date ca. 13,000 BP). After the LOGICAL CONTEXT One of the oldest flutes known today was found in the Geißenklösterle cave (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) in the 1 Hahn/Münzel 1995. Swabian Alb in Southwestern Germany.1 The find 2 Richter et al. 2000. comes from the ‘Classic’ Aurignacian layer (type 3 AMS = Accelerator Mass Spectrometer, TL = Thermolumi- nescence Method, BP = Before Present (1950). fossil: points with double winged base), which was 4 14 2 Hahn 1988. dated by C-accelerator method (AMS) to ca. 5 Hahn 1988. 33,500 BP and with thermoluminescence (TL) to 6 Hahn 1986. 108 Münzel/Seeberger/Hein

Gravettian occupation, sterile layers suggest a pos- remains of the Geißenklösterle. This probably sible hiatus in the occupation of Southwestern means that the flute was not manufactured in the Germany probably caused by the Last Glacial cave but was brought in as a finished product. Maximum. The maximum preserved length of flute 1 is In the faunal assemblage cave bear which 126.5 mm, the possible length compared to the hibernated in the Geißenklösterle cave is the pre- total length of a swans radius could have been dominant species in the entire sequence. Geis- 180 to 200 mm. The asymmetrical diameter of the senklösterle provided a wide and diverse faunal flute is 10.3 x 9.1 mm. spectrum, and the layers before the glacial maxi- mum around 20,000 BP can be classified as a ‘Mammoth Steppe Environment’. In addition to FRIEDRICH SEEBERGER species of the arctic tundra like reindeer, arctic fox and arctic hare, the grass steppe environment is EXPERIMENTS: represented by mammoth, wild horse and woolly THE WAY OF PLAYING rhino. Red deer is associated with reindeer similar to parts of Scandinavia today. Mountainous ele- Experiments in playing were carried out with ments like ibex, chamois and marmot are also pre- replications (Fig. 6) of the Geißenklösterle flute sent in the Swabian Alb. Carnivores are not very 1.10 The source material was radius bones from characteristic for specific biotopes, but they sur- Mute Swan (Cygnus olor). Flint tools were used vive as long as prey is present. The presence of a for the removal of the joint ends and for cutting large number of carnivore species also reflects a the holes. The replications have a length of diverse and broad variety of prey species. 150 mm, and are blown from the end which is bro- Regarding the seasonal occupation of the Geis- ken on the original as a bevelled flute. senklösterle which can be evaluated by determi- The bevelled flute is considered the precursor nating the age of the young prey animals, the of the transverse flute. It is very well known palaeolithic hunter-gatherers occupied the cave today in the Mediterranian as Flûte oblique, Flo- during the winter season, as shown by the age of a jéra, Fujara or Awada. Very old bevelled flutes hunted foal and by fetal bones of horse, and in the are exhibited for example at the Cairo Museum spring, as shown by the remains of hunted mam- and the Kantonal Museum in Lausanne.11 A bev- moth calves. elled flute is blown in an inclined downward The Ach Valley must have been attractive dur- position, as if one wants to whistle (way of play- ing the winter because of wild horse spending this ing, s. Fig. 7). time of the year in the protected Swabian Alb val- On replications of the Geißenklösterle flute 1 leys, and in spring for the mammoth herds having the tones c3,d3,f3,b3 and c4,d4,f4 can be played their calving ground nearby. by this way of blowing at it. The tones sound loud The evaluation of the fauna within the scope of and clear (c.f. our CD). The pitch and the timbre a project of the ‘Deutsche Forschungsgemein- do not change when the holes are transferred from schaft’ (DFG) was recently finished by the the concave side to the convex side of the bone. author.7 During the process of faunal analysis, The replications are playable to a minimal inside broken bird bones were found in a sample of water diameter of the bone tube down to 4.3 mm. Bevel- sieved sediments from the excavation. These frag- ling the edge of the blown-at end of the bone will ments showed holes, cut marks and striations. improve the playability, although there is no real After refitting the pieces, one sample came out as a need for bevelling. flute with at least three holes (Fig. 5a,c). The first The replication of a flute from the Isturitz cave, step of the production of the flute was smoothing having a straight edge, could be blown instantly the surface of the bone with a flint tool.8 Then the that way.12 proximal end of the bone was cut off by a circular groove, while the other end unfortunately remained incomplete, even after carefully search- ing through the surrounding finds recovered by collecting and wet sieving. A few additional frag- ments with notches and a partial hole from the 7 Münzel 1994; Münzel 1997; Münzel 1999. first excavation (1973) were recognized as belong- 8 For use and handling of flint tools to make flutes see Ein- ing to another flute (Fig. 5b). wögerer and Käfer, this volume. The so-called flute 1 is made out of a swan’s 9 Unpublished manuscript concerning the bird fauna at the Geißenklösterle. radius, probably a Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus, 10 9 Seeberger 1998; Seeberger 1999. determination by P. Krönneck). The flute is the 11 Meylan 1992. only indication of Whooper Swan in the bird 12 Replica by G. Lawson, Cambridge. The Geißenklösterle Flute – Discovery, Experiments, Reconstruction 109

CONCLUSION into a blowpipe (Fig. 9).15 The tones are generated at the fingerholes themselves, because these holes The bevelled flute is easier to manufacture than are not drilled in vertically, but cut or scraped in any other kind of flute. This fact and its nice, flexi- horizontally, so that the sharp edges of the finger- ble sound are reasons for its popularity with holes work like an aperture. With this way of play- herdsmen and nomads. Its use can be traced back ing, the following frequencies are at the players’ 5,000 years. disposal (given in Hz with lower and upper limits, The pitch of the tones is influenced by the because the tones can be changed up to 100 cent position of the lips and the tongue and the whole depending on the blowing pressure): a3 ~ 1760, tonal scale is only possible if one finds the position b3 ~ 1980–2090, c4 ~ 2090–2220, e4 ~ 2640–2790, suitable for it. Therefore, already at a very early f4 ~ 2790. The tones sound relatively clear, but not time, possibilities were sought for to produce very loud. Whether the original produced the tones more easily. Examples may be the pan flute, same tones cannot be solved, because its fragmen- the vessel flute, the bevelled flute, the recorder and tary preservation status does not reveal the origi- the transverse flute. nal length or the existence of further holes. For generating tones with a high pitch, a tube is Although it is possible to generate tones by the suitable with a narrow diameter like the Geis- fingerholes, this method should not be generally senklösterle flute. Such a tiny instrument can be predicted for all palaeolithic bone flutes. Using it played best as a bevelled flute. The flute from the as a bevelled flute, as F. Seeberger suggests, may be Geißenklösterle, being the oldest flute found, more plausible. It is conceivable that the Geis- stands at the beginning of the development of senklösterle flute had predecessors made of reed, flutes. It is very likely that it was blown as a bev- no matter how they looked, which perhaps were elled flute without any mouthpiece. The invention also played as bevelled flutes. of the bevelled flute might be associated with the Looking however at the tones generated by the perception of tones caused by the wind on replica, they do not sound aimless or accidential, unworked bone tubes. but seem to be oriented in a certain tonal order, a While discussing how the mouthpiece of palaeo- fact that was also observed by the researchers of lithic bird bones with fingerholes could have the bone flutes from the Early Neolithic site Jiahu looked, it was speculated that they might have in Henan Province/China.16 Here also the coun- been reed instruments. Simple reed instruments terargument does not take effect, that there cannot are built by a cut behind the valve of a reed be made any statement about the real tones, (Fig. 8). This way a lamella is produced which because replications, however carefully they are swings and creates a sound if this end is taken into made, never correspond to the original. These the mouth and blown. This technical complicated Chinese flutes are completely preserved and obvi- type of instrument must have been created inde- ously as playable as they were more than 8,000 pendantly of the development of the flute. years ago. The tones of the Geißenklösterle flute seem to be in systematic distances to each other, and allow the presumption that they did not come WULF HEIN/SUSANNE MÜNZEL about accidentally by piercing the bone at random, but are in intentional proportion similar to what RECONSTRUCTION: SOUND we are accustomed to hear, even if the tones exper- PRODUCTION AND SOUND imentally generated can be changed by the blow- QUALITY EXPERIMENTAL ing pressure. RECONSTRUCTION AND The common point of view that the notches cut ADDITIONAL CONSIDERA- in the flute could have functioned in addition as a TIONS ‘washboard’ instrument to produce rhythmic sounds is not shared by the authors. On one hand Because the original of flute 1 was only fragmen- the instrument is too tiny to play on and scrape at tarily preserved, an experimental reconstruction the same time. On the other hand the notches are was necessary to understand the technique of pro- duction and to learn about function and sequence of notes and playability, a procedure that was rec- 13 Schneider 1973. ognized as being important for the archaeology of 14 Hahn/Hein 1995; Hein/Hahn 1998; Hein 1998. 13 music several years ago. Some of the experiments 15 The Geißenklösterle flute can be held and played in differ- were carried out by the excavator J. Hahn and by ent ways (see Fig. 7 and 9). The difference of the results one of the authors (W.H.),14 which showed that referring to the sound are still to be examined, the tonal differences are the same. the reconstruction can be played without any spe- 16 Zhang et al. 1999; see also their contribution to this vol- cial mouthpiece by simply blowing into one end as ume. 110 Münzel/Seeberger/Hein not deep enough to produce sounds and there are the replacement of the Neanderthal man by the no traces of use-wear. In all probability the notch- modern Homo sapiens sapiens. es were carved for ornamental reasons, a usual This flute find, together with the recently dis- technique observed on many objects from the covered painted stone18 and the horse head made Aurignacian. It would be interesting to examine of ivory19 from the Hohle Fels, a cave situated further the notches microscopically in order to nearby in the Ach Valley, emphasizes the role of find out whether they were carved with one or the Upper Danube Area in the Central European several different tools, a method used by F. d’Erri- Upper Palaeolithic. co to examine the flute finds from the Isturitz cave.17 Such an examination, particularly consider- ing comparative traces already experimentally pro- DEDICATION duced in Bordeaux and Cambridge, might add a temporal dimension to the find, if it could be veri- We dedicate this paper to the excavator of the fied, that the notches were carved one after the Geißenklösterle flute, Prof. Joachim Hahn, who other with different tools. An international and died in April 1997 much too early and who could interdisciplinary research project might open up a not finish his work in the Ach Valley. rare opportunity in archaeology to catch a glimpse of the spiritual ‘superstructure’ of the Upper Palaeolithic beyond the horizon of the material 17 goods of our ancestors. It would provide a look at Oral communication d’Errico/Lawson; see also their con- tribution to this volume. the immaterial world of a period currently of 18 Conard/Floss 1999. interest to both science and the media because of 19 Conard/Floss 2000. The Geißenklösterle Flute – Discovery, Experiments, Reconstruction 111

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CONARD, N. J./FLOSS, H. 1999 Ein bemalter Stein vom Hohle Fels bei Schelk- inels, Préhistoire de la musique. Actes du Col- lingen und die Frage nach paläolithischer Höh- loque du Musicologie 11 – 12 – 13 , Eraul 61, lenkunst in Mitteleuropa. Archäologisches 135–151. Korrespondenzblatt 29, 307–316. MÜNZEL, S. 1994 CONARD, N. J./FLOSS, H. 2000 Die Großsäugerfauna des Geißenklösterle an- Eine Elfenbeinplastik vom Hohle Fels bei hand der Zahnfunde. In: S. Münzel/Ph. Morel/ Schelklingen und ihre Bedeutung für die J. Hahn, Jungpleistozäne Tierreste aus der Entwicklung des Jungpaläolithikums in Süd- Geißenklösterle-Höhle bei Blaubeuren. Fund- westdeutschland. Archäologisches Korrespon- berichte aus Baden-Württemberg 19/1, 63–93. denzblatt 30, 473–480. MÜNZEL, S. 1997 HAHN, J. 1986 Seasonal Activities of Human and Non-human Kraft und Aggression. Die Botschaft der Inhabitants of the Geißenklösterle Cave near Eiszeitkunst im Aurignacien Süddeutschlands? Blaubeuren, Alb-Danube District. Anthropo- Archaeologica Venatoria 7, Tübingen. zoologica 25/26, 355–361. HAHN, J. 1988 MÜNZEL, S. 1999 Die Geißenklösterle-Höhle im Achtal bei DFG-Abschlußbericht zur Großsäugerfauna Blaubeuren I. Forschungen und Berichte zur aus dem Geißenklösterle. Manuskript, Univer- Vor- und Frühgeschichte in Baden-Württem- sität Tübingen. berg 26, Stuttgart. RICHTER, D./WAIBLINGER, J./RINK, W .J./ HAHN, J./HEIN, W. 1995 WAGNER, G. A. 2000 Eiszeitorchester – Experimentelle Nachbildung Thermoluminescence, Electron Spin Reso- von Knochenflöten aus der Jüngeren Alt- nance and 14C-dating of the Late Middle and steinzeit. In: A. Scheer (Hrsg.), Eiszeitwerk- Early Upper Palaeolithic Site of Geißenklöster- statt – Experimentelle Archäologie. Muse- le Cave, Southern Germany. Journal of Ar- umsheft 2, 16–23, Blaubeuren. chaeological Science 27, 71–89. HAHN, J./MÜNZEL, S. 1995 SCHNEIDER, A. 1973 Knochenflöten aus dem Aurignacien des Analogie und Rekonstruktion. Wege zur Geißenklösterle bei Blaubeuren, Alb-Donau- Erforschung der Ur- und Frühgeschichte der Kreis. Fundberichte aus Baden-Württemberg Musik. Festschrift 400 Jahre Kurfürst-Salentin- 20, 1–12. Gymnasium Andernach, 51–63. HEIN, W. 1998 SEEBERGER, F. 1998 Zur Rekonstruktion und Funktion jung- Zur Spielweise paläolithischer Knochenflöten. paläolithischer Knochenflöten. Musica instru- Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt 28/1, mentalis 1, 120–128. 31–33. HEIN, W./HAHN, J. 1998 SEEBERGER, F. 1999 Experimentelle Nachbildung von Knochen- Sind jungpaläolithische Knochenflöten Vor- flöten aus dem Aurignacien der Geißenklöster- läufer mediterraner Hirtenflöten? Archäo- le-Höhle. In: M. Fansa (Hrsg.), Experimentelle logisches Korrespondenzblatt 29/2, 155–157. Archäologie in Deutschland, Bilanz 1997. ZHANG, J./HARBOTTLE, G./WANG, C./TONG, Z. Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Nordwest- 1999 deutschland, Beiheft 19, 65–73. Oldest playable musical instruments found at MEYLAN, R. 1992 Jiahu early Neolithic site in China. Nature 401, Permanence de la Flûte oblique autour de la 366–368. Méditeranée. In: M. Otte (Hrsg.), Sons Orig- 112 Münzel/Seeberger/Hein

Fig. 1 Bruckfelsen with Geißenklösterle (right).

Fig. 2 Abri/cave Geißenklösterle. The Geißenklösterle Flute – Discovery, Experiments, Reconstruction 113

Fig. 3 Excavation of the cave directed by Joachim Hahn, 1975.

Fig. 4 Map with Geißenklösterle location and other caves. 1 Bocksteinhöhle/Bockstein-Törle, 2 Brillenhöhle, 3 Hoher Fels, 4 Hohlenstein Stadel/Hohlenstein-Bärenhöhle, 5 Geißenklösterle, 6 Göpfelsteinhöhle, 7 Korb Kleinheppach, 8 Nikolaushöhle, 9 Große Ofnet/Kleine Ofnet, 10 Schafstall, 11 Sirgenstein, 12 Vogelherd. 114 Münzel/Seeberger/Hein

Fig. 5 a Flute 1 from Geißenklösterle cave (not yet completed with wax). Photograph: Hilde Jensen (Institut für Urgeschichte Tübingen) Drawing: Clemens Pasda. Mounted by Wulf Hein. The Geißenklösterle Flute – Discovery, Experiments, Reconstruction 115

Fig. 5 b Fragments of flute 2. Photograph: Hilde Jensen.

Fig. 5 c Flute 1 from Geißenklösterle completed with wax. Photograph: Hilde Jensen. 116 Münzel/Seeberger/Hein

Fig. 6 Replication of the Geißenklösterle flute 1. Photograph: Frankenstein/Zwietasch (Württembergisches Landesmuseum Stuttgart).

Fig. 7 Playing a replication of the Geißenklösterle flute 1 as bevelled flute. Photograph: Frankenstein/Zwietasch.

Fig. 8 Simple Greek reed instrument made from cane. Photograph: Frankenstein/Zwietasch. The Geißenklösterle Flute – Discovery, Experiments, Reconstruction 117

Fig. 9 Playing a replication of the Geißenklösterle flute 1 over the fingerholes. Photograph: Wulf Hein. 118 Münzel/Seeberger/Hein

Tab. 1 Stratigraphy and archaeology in the Geißenklösterle cave.