Ancient Jew’s harps found in Altai Mountains as musical instruments reappear after 1,700 years
Made from the splintered ribs of cows or horses, one is still capable of making music.
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.
Cheremshanka settlement (top) and Chultukov Log 9 (bottom).
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Comments (7)
KOPUZ / KOMUZ meaning is any music instrument you play
AGIZ = mouth / jaw
AGIZ KOPUZU = instrument you play with your jaw / mouth
This instrument has nothing to do with jews, it is purely Turkic / Altaic / Siberian and its translation to English is JAW HARP.
Jews' roots where their country is now and it is in the middle east. JAW HARP is Altaic / Turkic / Siberian instrument. It is where JAW HARP is coming from originally. You folks need to respect that.
The harp in the photo with the card underneath it , this is the intact harp that is still playable if the strings were in.
Interesting how one thing has nothing to do with the other yet here I am doing just that!.
Anyway, what makes story great is the age of instrument and knowing that more then likely someone used it correctly and played it as it is here today!