9,000-Year-Old Flutes Unearthed in China

News November 6, 2013

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ZHENGZHOU, CHINA—A tomb at the Jiahu archaeological site in central China has yielded three flutes carved from the bones of red-crowned cranes. The 9,000-year-old flutes are about eight inches long and are decorated with carved patterns. Pottery kilns, traces of buildings, and other tombs and coffins have also been uncovered at the Neolithic site. “People who created Jiahu culture were not only hunters, fishermen, and craftsmen, but also early farmers and brilliant artists,” said lead archaeologist Zhang Juzhong. 

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