Throughout our modern world, music is a vitally important artistic and social phenomenon. Whether we hum, whistle and stamp our feet, or hear it on radio and television, it is everywhere. Yet research now suggests that it was no less varied in ancient times. In fact it may well be one of humankind's oldest attributes - among the things we do that helped make us human. Older even than our abilities to draw and to speak.
Archaeologists have already made many discoveries of actual musical instruments, sometimes even of written music, providing first-hand evidence of ancient music's diversity, and perhaps a flavour of its power.
