New Research

Archaeologists Say These Conch Shells May Have Been Used as Early Musical Instruments 6,000 Years Ago

New research suggests that a collection of conch shells unearthed in Spain may have once produced melodies, in addition to enabling communication across long distances

Sonja Anderson | Daily Correspondent

December 4, 2025

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Twelve large conch shells found in Spain may have been used as trumpet-like instruments, according to new research.

Two archaeologists from the University of Barcelona, Miquel López-García and Margarita Díaz-Andreu, published their findings in the journal Antiquity on December 2. They write that the shells date back some 6,000 years, and Neolithic communities may have used them to communicate across long distances.

“It’s quite amazing that you get that very recognizable tone from a simple instrument that is just a very slightly modified animal body,” López-García tells the Guardian’s Sam Jones. “I think the closest instrument today in terms of tone is the French horn.”

The conchs, belonging to a nearly extinct species of sea snail, were found in Spain’s Catalonia region, says Díaz-Andreu in a statement from Antiquity. An examination revealed the shells were collected after the snails inside had died, meaning they weren’t used for nourishment. Additionally, the conchs were missing their apexes (their pointed tips). The researchers suggest they may have been removed to create instrumental mouthpieces.

López-García decided to test this theory. Last year, he carefully blew into eight of the conch shells. As he tells the Guardian, they produced a “really powerful, stable tone.” The researchers found that seven of the eight conchs produced peak levels above 100 A-weighted decibels—around the same as a lawn mower.

“The shell trumpets are capable of producing high-intensity sounds and would have been highly effective for long-distance communication,” says López-García in the statement.

Thousands of years ago, this part of Catalonia was densely populated and “primarily shaped by Neolithic agricultural activities,” per the statement. The researchers think the trumpets “supported activities” across farming landscapes and in nearby mines, where variscite ore was extracted to make items such as jewelry.

However, López-García and Díaz-Andreu wanted to know whether the conch trumpets were used for more than simple communication. The researchers studied whether the shells could have been used as instruments, focusing on “harmonic series and pitch,” according to the study.

“We wanted to see if any of the pieces we played had room for improvisation or for the exploration of sound resources,” López-García tells the Guardian. “So we made recordings of the small improvisations we played on these instruments. We realized that by doing different things, we could shape the tone of how the shell sounded and also the notes.”

The researchers found that the shells were able to produce melodies. He tells the Guardian that by placing his hand inside a shell’s opening, he could change the sound’s tone, and blowing using different techniques changed its timbre. As such, the researchers can’t rule out the possibility that the shells were “used as musical instruments with an expressive intention,” López-García says in the statement.

Humans around the world have been using conch shells to make noise for thousands of years. In 2021, a musician successfully played a 17,000-year-old shell horn found in a French cave. Researchers have found Maya conch shell trumpets that date to as early as the third century.

“They work by the vibrations of your lips, and the way you produce sound with them is very similar to modern-day brass instruments, such as trumpets and trombones,” López-García tells the Guardian. “The shells are their most ancient ancestors.”

Compared to shell trumpets from other regions, Catalonia’s conchs have received little scholarly attention, per the statement. Díaz-Andreu says the study’s revelation that Neolithic Catalonians used the shells for both communication and music reshapes “how we understand sound, space and social connection in early prehistoric communities.”

Sonja Anderson | Read More

Sonja Anderson is a writer and reporter based in Chicago.