Flute

This is an incredibly rare Roman flute - very few have been found in Britain. It is made from a bird bone and has four drilled holes, their spacing and position reflects the skill of the maker, who would have placed them in order to create the best sound. It may have been like a modern-day Penny Whistle, or part of a set - where two or three pipes were joined together at the top with a leather band that was then wrapped around the musician's head, allowing them to play all the pipes at once. Archaeologists have found paintings and statues of people playing these pipes across the Roman empire, and the musical instrument is also described by Roman writers, such as Varro.