(Click on the image above, and you can hear the beginning of the Marseillaise.)
But let's start from the top, and ask ourselves:
What do we know for sure about Neanderthal music?
The answer is, of course:
Bupkus. No direct evidence of musical expression (e.g., instruments or musical notation) attributable beyond doubt to
Neanderthals has been found. However, it is plausible that they engaged in some form of musical or rhythmic expression.
This plausibility rests on several indirect lines of evidence:
Auditory Anatomy: Neanderthals had ear structures similar to modern humans, suggesting a comparable hearing range,
especially for frequencies used in speech and possibly music.
Neurological Evidence: Endocasts and other cranial studies suggest Neanderthals had well-developed brain regions
involved in auditory processing, such as the superior temporal gyrus.
Genetic Factors: Neanderthals possessed a version of the FOXP2 gene nearly identical to that in modern humans,
which is associated with language capabilities. While this is not definitive proof of speech or song, it supports the possibility.
Therefore:
We cannot prove that Neanderthals made or used music. All supporting evidence is indirect and inferential.
No unambiguous musical artifacts have been conclusively linked to them. (A disputed example is the so-called
"Divje Babe flute," a bear femur with holes found in Slovenia, sometimes interpreted as a musical instrument,
though this interpretation is highly contested and possibly a product of carnivore activity.)
:: Instruments in Battles ::
Early instruments across many cultures were often used for communication, coordination, and psychological warfare
rather than entertainment. Examples include war horns, drums, and trumpets.
One such instrument in particular was the carnyx, a long tube that stands vertically. You "played" by blowing
into the lower end and ideally produced a devastating sound that could be heard over the carnage of a battle. It was used by
Iron Age Celts between roughly 300 BC and AD 200 in Gaul, Britain, and Central Europe. The Romans encountered it during
the Gallic Wars and later campaigns.
Here's a kid getting carnyx lessons in first century AD Scotland:
By the way, bagpipes did serve a similar military purpose to motivate troops, signal orders, and intimidate the enemy,
especially in Scotland in later centuries, their widespread use postdate the carnyx by over a thousand years.
:: National Anthems ::
Then, there are the national
anthems, of which the oldest one is Great Britain's
God Save the Queen, an official
national anthem since 1825.
The Nazis knew how to
use music effectively.
This site gives further info.
Music and the Military
"Military justice is to justice what
military music is to music."
— Groucho Marx quoted.
Here is a roughly 3 minute long musical ride through history, chronologically of course, featuring the never
disappointing troupe at Horrible Histories:
