Sucked Trumpets in Prehistoric Europe and North America? A Technological, Acoustical and Experimental Study By Riitta Rainio

https://www.academia.edu/42250909/Sucked_Trumpets_in_Prehistoric_Europe_and_North_America_A_Technological_Acoustical_and_Experimental_Study?rhid=40194874358&swp=rr-rw-wc-167341566&nav_from=78102354-ac63-41e3-8be5-bc4501b95628 In the Hornbostel-Sachs system of musical instrument classification, the aerophones proper are presumed to be blown instruments. Several trumpets from northern Eurasia, North America and South America, however, have traditionally been played in the opposite way, by inhaling. These sucked trumpets, counting among lip-vibrated instruments, have been used for calling game, as well as playing melodies. This article presents prehistoric bone artefacts from Ajvide, Gotland, Sweden (c. 2900–2300 cal. BC) and Eva, Benton county, Tennessee (5700–4700 BC), and discusses whether they could be regarded as early examples of sucked trumpets. The tubular artefacts are made from swan (Cygnus sp.) and wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) ulnae and radii by cutting, scraping and filing the bones and fitting them together. Similar two-piece structure turns up in the traditional wing bone turkey calls used to this day by North American hunters. The copies of the artefacts produce a variety of clucking, yelping and trumpeting sounds, when played with the sucking technique. The two-piece structure could have an acoustic motive or meaning, as it enables to make the sound louder and to modify the tone colour. ...