Witness History

The oldest song in the world


Listen Later

A 3,500 year old song was found on a clay tablet by archaeologists in Syria in the 1950s. Often called the Hurrian Hymn, it had been unearthed amid the ruins of an ancient palace which belonged to the ancient Hurrian civilization. It is the oldest complete song ever found. The tablet was inscribed in the Hurrian language but using cuneiform script. Academics have spent decades debating how to interpret the song's ancient musical notation. Alex Last spoke to Richard Dumbrill, a leading archaeomusicologist, who has spent decades studying the tablet and has produced his own interpretation of the song. Photo: The Hurrian song written in cuneiform on the clay tablet H6 (Richard Dumbrill)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Witness HistoryBy BBC World Service

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

903 ratings


More shows like Witness History

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,913 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

376 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

523 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

863 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,067 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

296 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,576 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,808 Listeners

HistoryExtra podcast by Immediate

HistoryExtra podcast

3,196 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

586 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,113 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

488 Listeners

The Interview by BBC World Service

The Interview

357 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

580 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

746 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

227 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

841 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

363 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

471 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

346 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

235 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by Significant Productions

Elis James and John Robins

326 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,245 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

73 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

689 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

528 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Studios

Believe in Magic

630 Listeners

History's Heroes by BBC Radio 4

History's Heroes

504 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

394 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

239 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

54 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

80 Listeners

The History Bureau by BBC

The History Bureau

96 Listeners