Why will it be difficult to know what kind of music the earliest humans made?
It will be difficult to know what kind of music the earliest humans made due to several reasons:
1. Lack of written records: The earliest humans did not have writing systems to document their music, so there are no written records or notations that can be studied.
2. Limited preservation: Music is an auditory art form, and its preservation relies on various mediums like recordings or notations. Since early humans did not have recording devices or a system to notate music, there are no tangible artifacts that could provide direct evidence of the music they created.
3. Organic materials decay: Music instruments and materials used by early humans were often made of organic materials like wood, bone, or skin, which tend to decay over time. As a result, even if some instruments or remnants exist, they may not have survived till the present day.
4. Cultural differences: Early humans lived in diverse societies across different regions and time periods, with varying languages, traditions, and belief systems. The music they made would have been influenced by these factors, making it challenging to determine a universal understanding of their music.
5. Lack of context: Without a complete understanding of the cultural and social context in which the music was created, it becomes difficult to interpret its intended purpose, meaning, or significance. The socio-cultural aspects that shaped the music of early humans are often lost or not well-documented.
6. Interpretation challenges: Even if some ancient musical artifacts or instruments are discovered, it can be challenging to decipher their exact purpose, usage, and the sound they produced. The complexity of reconstructing and understanding ancient musical practices makes it difficult to accurately determine what kind of music the earliest humans made.
All these factors contribute to the difficulty in determining the specifics of the music created by the earliest humans and limit our knowledge to speculation and educated assumptions.