This type of whistle is first found at Prolom II in the Crimea which dates
between 90-100,000 years. Stpanchuk says:
"It is impossible not to notice abundant Saiga tatarica phalanges with
holes. For example, there are 41 such phalanges with holes. For example,
there are 41 such phalanges (55.4% of the total) in the second layer
(excavations of 1981 and 1982). In most cases crudely pierced holes are
connected with the dorsal surface near the distal epiphysis of the first
and second phalange, but are also often located on the articular surface.
In many cases the phalanges have two or even three holes, mainly tending to
the distal or proximal ends. It is rare that a hole in situated in the
medial section. Average dimensions of holes are 3-4 mm; whereas larger
ones, sometimes up to 10 mm in size, are much rarer. The origin and
purpose of these holes is not quite clear. The study of phalanges with
holes has already been going on for more than 150 years, and various
explanations have been proposed: the obtaining of marrow; use as whistles;
and the result of biting through by a carnivore while the animal was alive.
Other hypotheses seem to be fantastic, for example, that they were vessels
for poison. It is possible that some of the phalanges with holes were
really used as whistles. R. Wetzel wrote that phalanges with roughly
pierced holes from Bocksteinschmeide H which he had recognised as
'hunters' pipes' were shown by experiment to utter quite strong shrill
sounds. One cannot completely exclude the hypothesis about marrow
procuring, although in many ways it does not withstand criticism. New
evidence about natural causes has recently been adduced. In any case, the
abundance of phalanges with holes at Prolom II cannot be comprehensively
explained by any one of the causes mentioned above. Maybe in future
investigations of these artefacts at Crimean sites (apart from Prolom II
they are known in any layers of Zaskalnaya V, VI IX, as well as at Prolom
I, and elsewhere) will make clear their enigmatic origins." ~ Vadim N.
Stpanchuk, "Prolom II, A Middle Palaeolithic Cave Site in the Eastern
Crimea with Non-Utilitarian Bone Artefacts," Proceedings of the Prehistoric
Society 59, 1993, pp 17-37, p. 33-34.
Many other Neanderthal sites, ranging down to 45,000 years have perforated
phalange whistles (Paul Mellars, The Neanderthal Legacy, (Princeton:
University Press, 1996), p. 373; Randall White, "Comments" Current
Anthropology, 36:4(1995), pp. 605-634, p. 624)
With the advent of the Upper Paleolithic, the manufacture of phalange
whistles continued:
"To return to our catalogue: at the Hungarian cave site of Istallosko, in
an occupation level dated to Aurignacian II, the excavators found not only
two pierced reindeer phalanges but also the femur of a cave bear having
three holes, one in the centre of the posterior surface and two on the
anterior."J.V.S. Megaw, "Penny Whistles and Prehistory," Antiquity XXXIV,
1960, pp 6-13, p. 7-8
(As an aside the Istallosko cave bear flute is very similar to the one
reported two years ago at a Neanderthal site dating around 43,000 years old.)
The phalange whistles are also found in Upper Paleolithic sites (sites
inhabited by modern man between 11000 and 30,000 years ago). Such sites
include La Magdalein, Solutre and Dolni Vestonice. (J.V.S. Megaw, "Penny
Whistles and Prehistory," Antiquity XXXIV, 1960, pp 6-13, p. 6-7)
Today I ran across the following very interesting account of phalange
whistles which were made within the past few centuries, nearly 100,000
years after they were first invented by Neanderthal. All the evidence
suggests a continuous tradition over that length of time! This is clearly a
cultural object that has had a long history, which has just ended within
the past century. Omerzel-Terlep informs us:
"Instruments of the whistle type made from animal phalanges have also
survived among other European ethnic groups as children's musical toys:
such examples from Scandinavia, Hungary and Switzerland. The pitch of the
whistle depends on the force and direction with which you blow across the
edge of the hole, below which the body of the instrument creates a
resonating reservoir of air." ~ Mira Omerzel-Terlep, "A Typology of bone
whistles, Pipes and Flutes and Presumed Palaeolithic Wind Instruments in
Slovenia," in Ivan Turk, ed. Mousterian Bone Flute and other Finds from
Divje Babe I Cave Site in Slovenia, (Ljubljana: Institute za Arheologijo,
1997), p.203-204
glenn
Adam, Apes and Anthropology
Foundation, Fall and Flood
& lots of creation/evolution information
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