Description

Summary: 1 flute made from the long bone of a crane (previously identified as a swan) with two holes in its side, found with a primary cremation in Bowl Barrow Wilsford G23, excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A Bronze Age possible bone flute excavated by William Cunnington from bowl barrow Wilsford G23. The flute was found with the primary cremation, alongside 2 daggers, a pin and a perforated whetstone. The breaks visible along the length of the tube are not ancient, and it is also known that the 'flute' was more complete when originally excavated in the early 1800s. It was evidently a prized possesion, being well finished and highly polished. The choice of bone is also unusual, being made from the radius of a crane.

This instrument is discussed by Wyatt (2009) in the context of other early musical instruments throughout Europe, such as a flute made from a sheep femur at Penywyrlod, and a Vulture bone flute, from Veyrean, Aveyron, France. Using world cultures parallels he points out that a great deal of early music would have relied on vocal melodies and simple percussion, as well as minimally altered organic instruments (often wood) which will rarely survive. He also identifies a number of musical instruments made from human femurs and ulnas in Italy, France and Hungary, and suggested that re-examination of British Human remains might produce similar instruments (and would subsequently be proved correct, with the re-identification of a wind instrument of human femur from Wilsford G58). He suggests that in these early communities music would have been vital in stablising communities and that instruments of human bone may have invoked ancestors in such activity.

This object was examined as part of the research published in Ritual in Early Bronze Age Grave Goods; a six-year research project carried out by Professor John Hunter and Dr Anne Woodward and funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Aided by a large number of other specialists the pair undertood an exhuastive study examining over 1000 objects held in 13 museums across the country in order to provide an extensive overview of burial practices in the period and identify regional practices.