Hear: Ancient shell horn can still play a tune after 18,000 years

This combination of photos provided by researcher Carole Fritz in February 2021 shows two sides of a 12-inch (31 cm) conch shell discovered in a French cave with prehistoric wall paintings in 1931. Using modern microscopy techniques to examine how the shell was modified and hiring a French horn player to test it out, they found the shell could produce C, C sharp and D notes. By carbon dating other related artifacts in the cave, researchers estimate the age to be around 18,000 years, making it the world's oldest seashell instrument known. (Carole Fritz via AP)