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Prehistoric music (previously called primitive music) is a term in the history of music for all music produced in preliterate cultures , beginning somewhere in very late geological history. Prehistoric music is followed by ancient music in different parts of the world, but still exists in isolated areas.
Ancient music refers to the musical cultures and practices that developed in the literate civilizations of the ancient world, succeeding the music of prehistoric societies and lasting until the post-classical era. Major centers of ancient music developed in China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran/Persia, the Maya civilization, Mesopotamia, and Rome.
Like the origin of language, the origin of music has been a topic for speculation and debate for centuries. [3] Leading theories include Darwin's theory of partner choice (women choose male partners based on musical displays), the idea that human musical behaviors are primarily based on behaviors of other animals (see zoomusicology), the idea that music emerged because it promotes social ...
The Aurignacian flutes were created between 43,000 and 35,000 years ago. The flutes, made of bone and ivory, represent the earliest known musical instruments and provide unmistakable evidence of prehistoric music. The flutes were found in caves with the oldest known examples of figurative art.
"But that music is a language by whose means messages are elaborated, that such messages can be understood by the many but sent out only by the few, and that it alone among all language unites the contradictory character of being at once intelligible and untranslatable—these facts make the creator of music a being like the gods and make music itself the supreme mystery of human knowledge."
Music archaeology is an interdisciplinary field with multifaceted approaches, [6] falling under the cross section of experimental archaeology and musicology research. [7] Music archaeology research aims to understand past musical behaviors; this may be done through methods such as recreating past musical performances, or reconstructing musical instruments from the past.
Music was a normal part of social life in Mesopotamia [14] and was used in many secular contexts. [15] Music played important roles at funerals, [16] among royalty, [17] and was also depicted in relation to sports and sex. [18] Mesopotamian love songs, which represented a distinct genre of music, nevertheless shared features in common with ...
Music in ancient India, can be reproduced from written works dating to the Indian classical period, such as the Nātya Shastra, and through surviving examples of liturgical music such as the hymns of the Samaveda. Musical instruments dating to the prehistoric period have been recovered from archaeological excavations.