Flute (fragment)
The artefact is a fragment of initially large item made of slightly cambered bird bone (probably, swan bone, according to I. Mlikovsky). We can clearly see traces of break on the end of the item. In the middle part, the sub-rectangular hole was intentionally made.
Manufacturing technique
It was determined that this artefact is only a fragment of initially large item. Traces of break are clearly seen. It is not possible to determine the initial metric parameters of the item.
Based on the studying of treatment traces of the item, we can make a confident assumption that the hole was made in several stages. Initially, two parallel indentations as channels were made. The deepening led to perforation of the bone. A reciprocating saw was used to treat the item. Apparently, then it was shaping the sub-rectangular hole. A tool with narrow cutting working edge was used for it. The next and the final stage of treating the item in the hole area was flaring the channels of sawing with a planning knife. The moving of the tool was one way along the long axis with some slope of the knife plane to the hole.
Use-wear traces
On the surface of the artefact, linear microtraces were found. They appeared probably due to abrasive bits. Such cutting marks are determined as use-wear traces and do not form the shape of the item. It is not excluded, however, that relatively deeper linear traces in some areas of the artifact could have a different genesis.
Besides, traces of polishing were found. On the first section, the bone surface is naturally tough. On the second section the surface is smoothed and polished due to a contact with soft organic material, in other words, with human's hand skin. Such smoothed surface is also found on the edges of channels deepening and in the area of the hole.
Storage location
The museum of BSC SB RASInventory number
142Size
Length - 46.64 mm
Width (average) - 8.26 mm
Thickness (average) - 6.33 mm
Material
bone (swan-?)Dating
35 000 - 38 000 years BPCulture
Initial Upper PaleolithicThe author of the excavations
Lbova L.V.2000
Publications
Lbova, L. V., Volkov, P. V., Kozhevnikova, D. V. 2010. The earliest evidence of the music culture in Northern Eurasia. III Northern Archaeological Congress: Abstracts. IzdatNaukaServis, Yekaterinburg-Khanty-Mansiysk: 34-36.
Lbova L, Kozhevnikova D., Volkov P. The musical instruments in Siberia (Early stage of the Upper Paleolithic) // Congrès de l’IFRAO, septembre 2010 – Symposium: Signes, symboles, mythes et idéologie dans l’art du Pléistocène URL: http://www.ifraoariege2010.fr/docs/Articles/Lbova_et_al-Signes.pdf
