Since the dawn of time humands have loved dogs, horses, and sound. This deep dive into our historical longing to create art and instruments was truly fascinating.

Amazing book! This is a book for musicians with at least a curiosity to know more about the history of their art and the cultural impact that music has had throughout earth's long journey. It's also a book for anyone who might be curious about archeology, beyond watching Raiders of the Lost Ark or National Treasure. The diverse knowledge and skills that is required to be a field archeologist is mind-blowing: history, weather, chemistry. metallurgy, botonny, zoology, entomology, meteorology, geography, geology etc. Then having a focus on the history of music requires experience playing an instrument as well as being a skilled luthier.

Though I do not fully agree with the author's unyielding belief in the accuracy of the results of various dating methods (requiring an assumptive truth claim to start with), the book was both educational (I learned a lot about the function of voicing for the various types of horns because my background is piano and guitar). and entertaining at the same time.

Archeology has always fascinated me, thanks to my dad’s collection of old National Geographics that I would read through when bored. And, I have always loved music since grade school, learning piano and singing in choirs, and as an adult attending orchestra concerts. So, this book is a perfect match for my interests.

Moving backward in time, Graeme Lawson tells the stories of sixty musical instruments discovered by archeologists, tracing a history of humanity’s love of music. From pieces of recovered instruments, Lawson resurrects its place in history.

Some traditions leave no trace, like the willow whistles made of tree bark slid off the branch in one piece and given a small hole and mouthpiece. It dries out in days or hours, decaying and leaving to trace, yet they are a living tradition across Northern Europe and as far south as Turkey. Lawson imagines instruments that have left no trace that were made by prehistoric humans. Forty-five and a half thousand years ago hand stencils were made by spraying ochre; perhaps using hollow containers that also made sounds.

A delightful and interesting read.

Thanks to Knopf for a free book through NetGalley.