Surviving Roman pan-pipes were small, pocket-sized instruments, manufactured in workshops. Their pipes were drilled into a solid piece of box-wood or were moulded in clay and fired. Pictures show simpler sets made by tying together bundles of hollow cane reeds, which could have been home-made.
Pan-pipes are one of the most ancient types of instrument and are known from all over the ancient world. They are played by blowing across the tops of the tubes. The smallness of excavated Roman examples makes them tricky to play, but they are carefully tuned and with skill they can be made to produce fine melodic music.
