Types of Evidence
This type of evidence includes images related to music depicted in stone carvings, pottery, or paintings.
Visual
The very first "instrument".
The human body (voice, body percussion)
Nanna, a deity of the time, was the inspiration for which Ancient Mesopotamian instrument?
The Bull Lyre
A wind instrument from Ancient Greece, often played in pairs.
Aulos
Pythagoras
The Mesopotamian Bull Lyre or the arena for the Pythian games are examples of this type of evidence.
Physical
The age ascribed to the bone flute found in a German cave
36,000 BCE (38,000 years ago)
Songs written to a god that were common in Ancient Mesopotamia, one of the earliest music "genres"
Hymns
This stringed instrument's name is the distant ancestor of "guitar"
Kithara
Music was just one of the "muses" or arts of Ancient Greece, and was given the name ________.
Melos
The Ancient Greeks were especially fond of this form of evidence, as seen in their extensive philosophies and theories on music.
Written Evidence
The tablet dating from 1400 BCE known as the earliest surviving notation evidence
The Hurrian Hymn
The aulos was associated with the Greek God _______ while the lute was associated with _______.
Dionysus, Apollo.
Aristotle believed music should be used for _________, a delayed release of emotions.
Catharsis
Actual written music, or at least what's left of it, such as the Hurrian Hymn or the Song of Seikilos
Notation/Notated Evidence
The most common type of evidence of prehistoric music.
Physical
Bonus: Who's the curly-haired dork recreating ancient music on YouTube for our listening pleasure?
Peter Pringle
The Kithara has pillars allowing for ___________ and discs/grips allowing for __________.
portamento/sliding, vibrato.
One's moral character, which could be corrupted by impure music, at least according to Plato.
Ethos
Aristoxenus' texts Harmonic Elements & Rhythmic Elements are examples of which type of evidence?
Notation (it dealt more with concepts of notes, intervals, and scales than Written evidence's effects on Ethos)
What are some challenges of researching prehistoric music?
The age of the evidence makes it rare; most music was passed down by generation by word of mouth or taught by ear and repetition, not written down.
The priestess who wrote several documented hymns in Ancient Mesopotamia
Enheduanna
Where were instruments used in daily life in Ancient Greece?
Religious ceremonies, marriages, funerals, theatres, parties, and battles.
The philosopher Plato believed the teaching of young minds should be a balance between ___________, exercise of the body, and music, exercise of the __________.
gymnastics, mind.