The Celtic harp must have been in use as early as the 10th century, and fragments of one were found in the 7th-century Sutton Hoo burial ship unearthed at Suffolk, England. It is omnipresent in folktales and legends it is the national symbol of Ireland. The harp has maintained its importance in Europe. An exception in design and gender is the western African kora, a harp-lute (or bridge harp), which is traditionally played by men. In contemporary Africa it likely is related to the Egyptian harps, and again it is associated with women. Within Asia, the harp family is well known in Myanmar (Burma), and although it was once used in China and India, it is no longer common in these countries it is, rather, musically important in equatorial regions of Africa, in Europe, and, since European incursions, in the Americas. Iconographic evidence suggests that in both Egypt and Mesopotamia the harp, often played by women, was used in secular entertainments, although it had sacred uses as well. Among the early harps found in the burial chambers at the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur (founded in the 4th millennium bce) were bow-shaped (arched) instruments (one with 13 strings) nearly identical instruments were played in Egypt at roughly the same time. Although the musical bow is virtually identical in shape to the hunter’s bow, it is uncertain whether the musical instrument might be derived from the weapon indeed, there is no way of knowing whether humans hunted with a bow-shaped implement before they made musical sound with a bow. Some scholars have suggested that the harp evolved from the musical bow (usually classified as a type of zither), which must have been in existence prior to the establishment of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. Little or no evidence is available concerning the chordophones of prehistoric times: the earliest iconographic evidence and the oldest surviving specimens come from Mesopotamia and Egypt, and evidence concerning instruments earlier than these can be gleaned only from myth and legend. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
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