A bone flute found in southern Germany cave has become the oldest instrument discovered after carbon dating counted its age as 35,000 years.

The flute with five holes and made from the hollowed out wing-bone of a giant vulture was found in the Ach Valley, according to a study of the instrument, published Thursday in the British journal Nature.

"We can now conclude that music played an important role in Aurignacian life in the Ach and Lone valleys," commented Nicholas Conard, a professor at the University of Tübingen and lead author of the study, according to Thelocal.de.

The flute is 8.7 inches long and one inch in diameter.

Aurignacian culture flourished in western Europe during what is known as the Upper Palaeolithic period, from about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago.