Collection of the National Museum of Mongolia: The Most Ancient Musical Instrument Found from Mongolia

Art & Culture
munkhzul@montsame.gov.mn
2021-01-08 13:05:35

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. From the various musical instruments found from the territory of Mongolia, the one tracing back to the earliest point in history is currently being kept at the National Museum of Mongolia. 


The artifact was found during an archeological excavation done at a site named Zambiin Uzuur in Zuunkhangai soum, Uvs aimag in the framework of the Mongolian-American joint project, ‘Baruun Mongol’, in 2018.


Made by cutting the two ends of a marrowbone and creating a trapeze-shaped chamber inside, the bone artifact was used as a type of whistle by ancient hunters. 


As the bone whistle traces back to the Late Bronze Age around BC 1042±31, it is currently considered as the most ancient musical instrument found from Mongolia.