Altai (Russie): Ancient Jew’s harps as musical instruments reappear after 1,700 years
Made from the splintered ribs of cows or horses, one is still capable of making music.
Anna Liesowska
It is good enough to make music some 1,580-to-1,740 years after being manufactured by craftsmen in the Huns-Sarmatian period. Picture here and below: Andrey Borodovsky
The musical finds were made by archeologists at two sites Chultukov Log 9 and Cheremshanka in Altai Republic.
Three of the Jew’s harps - also called jaw or mouth harps - from the first site were half-finished.
The other two from Cheremshanka were complete, and one is good enough to make music some 1,580-to-1,740 years after being manufactured by craftsmen in the Huns-Sarmatian period.
The musical finds were made by archeologists at two sites Chultukov Log 9 and Cheremshanka in Altai Republic.
The acrting harp is 11 centimetres in length, and 8.6 cm wide.
The finds were announced by Professor Andrey Borodovsky, of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk, part of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Ancient Jew's harp were made of the middle part of the rib splintered into two parts.
The ancient masters used the middle part of the rib, splintering it into two parts, he said.
This method differed to Jew’s harp makers in the Tuva region one Siberia, and Mongolia, where long bones were used.
Tests show that the way used by Altai masters is more advanced.
Ancient Jew's harp found on Cheremshanka and ethnographic harp made by Altaian.
The tounge/reed of such harps is placed in the performer’s mouth and plucked with the finger to produce the note.
They are among the world’s most ancient instruments.
The instrument, despite its name, has no connection with Jews or Judaism.