RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. When archaeologists found a large seashell in a French cave in 1931, they thought it was a ceremonial cup. But after 90 years and fresh research, scientists now say it's a musical instrument crafted about 18,000 years ago. The tip of the conch shell has been expertly broken off and holes punched out to produce different notes. To demonstrate, they hired - who else? - a French horn player.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MARTIN: It's MORNING EDITION (laughter). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.