Earliest Humans Played Flute 35,000 Years Ago

A vulture-bone flute found in a cave in southwest Germany proves that homo sapiens have been rocking out for at least 35,000 years, archaeologists say. It’s the most complete musical instrument found in a region full of relics like busty carvings and ivory flutes, the New York Times reports. Early humans were just spreading throughout Europe at the time.

The 8½-inch flute has five finger holes carefully carved into the bone and is thought to produce harmonic sounds comparable to modern notes. “These finds demonstrate the presence of a well-established musical tradition at the time when modern humans colonized Europe,” researchers wrote in the journal Nature. (More early humans stories.)