PART THREE
BURIED TREASURE
We head to deep caves in Germany to discover the oldest known musical instrument and explore the music of ancient civilisations from Babylon to Greece to Egypt. We look at how music has been taught across cultures and generations and answer that age old question, did neanderthals hum?
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE & INSTITUTIONS IN THIS EPISODE
Exclusive interviews in order of appearance in Part Three
Professor Steve Mithen
Archaeologist and author
Website
Dr Suzi Gage
Psychologist, epidemiologist and author
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Professor Nicholas Conard
Archaeologist and historian
Website
Professor Richard Dumbrill
Archeaomusicologist
Website
Koroleko Moussa
Musician, Instrument maker, Music Educator
Website | Instagram
Philip Ball
Science writer
Website |Bluesky
Dr Orchisama Das
Audio and acoustic researcher
Website
Sofia Aziz
Biomedical Eygyptologist
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Professor Armand D’Angour
Classicist and ancient music expert
Website
Richard Walley
Musician, Author, Artist & Activist
Instagram
PIQSIQ
Musicians
Website | Instagram
Dr Elisabeth Giselbrecht
Researcher early written music
Website
Siyu Sun
Concert pianist and teacher
Website
Professor Lucy Green
Music Education Researcher
Website
Nitin Sawhney
Musician and composer
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Nicole Cassandra Smit
Musician
Website | Instagram
Some of the institutions releavant to this episode
The Cosmic Shambles Network
Website | Instagram | Bluesky
Kings Place Music Foundation
Website | Instagram
The Royal Institution
Website | Instagram
Museum Blaubeuren
Website
Artis Foundation
Website
The Laura Kinsella Foundation
FURTHER READING LIST
If you’d like to dig into any of the topics in this episode a little deeper, you can subscribe to our Patreon for upcoming extended interviews or pick up one of the books below. These are books by the interviewees featured in this episode, books we read in our research and recommended fascinating books of the topics covered.
- The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind and Body by Steven Mithen Buy It
- Say Why to Drugs: Everything You Need to Know about the Drugs We Take and Why We Get High by Suzi Gage Buy It
- The Birth of Music Theory by Richard Dumbrill Buy It
- The Human Brain in Ancient Egypt: A Medical and Historical Re-Evaluation of Its Function and Importance by Sofia Aziz Buy It
- Music, Text, and Culture in Ancient Greece by Armand D’Angour Buy It
- Early Music Printing in German-Speaking Lands edited by Elisabeth Giselbrecht Buy It
- Alfred’s Basic Piano Library: Lesson Book Complete Level 1 by Manus and Lethco Palmer Buy It
- How Popular Musicians Learn: A Way Ahead for Music Education by Lucy Green Buy It
- Music, Informal Learning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy by Lucy Green Buy It
- Music, Gender, Education by Lucy Green Buy It
- Music on Deaf Ears by Lucy Green Buy It
- How Musical Is Man? by John Blacking Buy It
- Seafaring: Canoeing Ancient Songlines by Victor Briggs Buy It
- The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin Buy It
- Songs Spirals: Sharing Womens Wisdom of Country Through Songlines by Gay’wu Group of Women Buy It
- Musical instruments : Their history from the Stone Age to the present day by Karl Geiringer Buy It
- Music in Primitive Culture by Bruno Nettl Buy It
- Musical Instruments : From The Renaissance To The 19th Century by Sergio Paganelli Buy It
- The Sound of Being Human: How Music Shapes Our Lives by Jude Rogers Buy It
- Early Symbolic Culture and the Evolution of Behavioral Modernity by Nicholas Conard Buy It
PLAYLIST
Each episode we’ll present you with a playlist of all the songs featured, mentioned or discussed in the episode. Enjoy the playlist and if you do discover some new music you enjoy, please do buy the album or single and support the artists!
Part Three Playlist
- Bobby Cole – Vintage Johnson Blues
- George Harrison – Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) – 2009 Remaster
- Julie Andrews – Prelude / The Sound Of Music – Medley
- United States Air Force Band – The Star Spangled Banner (National Anthem of the USA) [Instrumental Version]
- The Bangles – Walk Like an Egyptian
- The Byzantine Choir of St. George Cathedral – Gregorian Chant
- Big Joe Turner – Jump for Joy
- Piqsiq – Ikitaa
- Johann Sebastian Bach; Martín E. Swynarczyn – Prelude in C Major
- Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
- Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- Joni Mitchell – A Case of You
- Nicole Cassandra Smit – Wolves
- Cold Chisel – Buried Treasure
QUIZ
How closely were you paying attention? Take our episode quiz to test yourself, your friends, your family, your children, random passers by…
1. Out of what animal’s bones was the oldest known human made instrument made from?
Vulture or Griffin
2. What was the name of the cave in Germany where these instruments were found?
Hohle Fels.
3. What pop star is depicted on Dr Suzi Gage’s necklace?
David Bowie.
4. What is the specific name for an Ancient Egyptian percussion rattle?
A sistrum.
5. Which legend of Greek myth was said to enchant the animals with his lyre playing?
Orpheus.
6. Which four unique Australian wildlife animals feature in this episode?
A quokka, a rainbow lorikeet, an emu and kangaroos.
7. What is the name of the type of Inuit throat singing practiced by PIQISQ that is discussed in this episode?
Katajjaq.
8. In what modern day country would you find the ancient city of Babylon??
Iraq.
9. On what type of material were the Hurrian Hymns transcribed?
Clay tablets.
10. Do you think UCL’s Professor Lucy Green and Professor Lucie Green have ever met?
They haven’t and quite frankly we continue to find this unacceptable and are aiming to rectify it ASAP.
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