Archaeologists in Spain have identified a collection of conch-shell trumpets from Neolithic settlements and mines in Catalonia, dating back to between the late fifth and early fourth millennia BC. The researchers argue that these shells, modified by removing their pointed tips, were used as long-distance communication devices and rudimentary musical instruments, making them among the oldest known sound-producing technologies in Europe.
The study, led by Miquel López García and Margarita Díaz-Andreu of the University of Barcelona, examined 12 large shell trumpets from the species Charonia lampas. The fact that the shells were collected after the sea snails had died suggests they were gathered for non-culinary purposes, while the removal of the tips indicates their use as trumpets.
In November 2024, López García, a professional trumpet player, conducted acoustic experiments on eight intact shells. He produced a 'really powerful, stable tone' from them, describing the sound as similar to a French horn. By placing his hand inside the shell opening and varying his blowing technique, he could alter the pitch and timbre, demonstrating the instruments' melodic potential.
The researchers suggest the trumpets may have been used for communication between communities or between settlements and workers in the surrounding landscape, particularly in variscite mines where six shells were found. Their findings were published in the journal Antiquity.
López García noted that the oldest known conch shell trumpet, found in the Marsoulas Cave in southern France and dated to around 18,000 BC, shares nearly identical characteristics. 'These are basically among the first instruments – or pieces of sound technology – that we know of throughout all human history,' he said, adding that similar shells were still used in the mid-20th century by his own family in Almería to warn of floods.
