“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard/Are sweeter,” wrote the nineteenth century poet John Keats. In many ways archaeology is the antithesis to this poetic sentiment: the archaeologist’s job is to animate the silent remains he uncovers. This is exactly what Professors Anne Draffkorn Kilmer and Richard L. Crocker of the University of California at Berkeley did when they were given a tablet from ancient Ugarit to decipher. After collaborating with scholars from all over the world, they deciphered the lyrics and music of “The World’s Oldest Musical Notation.” Today, we can hear this 3500-year-old Hurrian Cult Song played […]
