Seven flutes made of waterfowl bones were unearthed at the site of Eynan-Mallaha in Israel last year, and they’re making headlines now. The flutes date to roughly 12,000 years ago and they belong to the Natufian culture. They’re tiny, with the only intact flute measuring about 2.6 inches, making them some of the smallest instruments in the world. They were painted in ochre and worn on a string, and when played, they make a high-pitched sound similar to birds of prey (specifically sparrowhawks and common kestrels). It’s clear that this sound is what the Natufians were going for, as bigger bones would have created a different sound, and we don’t see those being used. According to Laurent Davin, “The Natufians chose those small bones because they wanted the sound to be like this in order to imitate falcon sounds. This demonstrates their knowledge of acoustics and indicates that there were probably other instruments made of perishable materials.” It is thought that these flutes were either used for hunting, communication with birds, or music. Davin again, “These artifacts are really important because they are the only sound instruments clearly identified in the prehistory of the whole Levant and the oldest sound instruments imitating bird calls in the world. They tell us about the [inventiveness] and knowledge of acoustics of the Natufians as well as their technical precision. It also gives us evidence of the Natufians' relationship with the symbolically valued birds of prey, how they communicate with them or how their calls were integrated in Natufian music.”