Chapter 05 of 5
Playing the Past
Tutankhamun's trumpets, the lyres of Ur and the challenge of hearing lost sounds.
- The Tomb
Tutankhamun
When Howard Carter's team opened Tutankhamun's tomb in the 1920s, they found two trumpets among the treasures.
- The Pair
Silver and bronze
One was made of silver, the other of bronze or copper. They are over 3,000 years old.
- The Broadcast
BBC, 1939
In April 1939 a British army bandsman played the trumpets live on BBC radio, reaching millions of listeners.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What happened to Tutankhamun's trumpets in 1939?
🏺 The Lost Sound of Ancient Music
- 01The Oldest SongClay tablets from an ancient Syrian city hold the oldest known written melody.
- 02The Seikilos EpitaphThe oldest complete song in the world, carved on a grave, and its near-miss as a flowerpot stand.
- 03Reading Ancient NotationHow the Greeks wrote down music, and how scholars bring it back to life.
- 04Guido's HandHow a medieval monk invented the musical staff and gave us do, re, mi.
- 05Playing the PastTutankhamun's trumpets, the lyres of Ur and the challenge of hearing lost sounds.