MIT Team Brings Ancient Instruments Back to Life

Imagine walking through a museum and actually hearing what a 2,600-year-old Peruvian whistle sounded like. Thanks to a collaboration between MIT and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, that's now possible.

When MIT postdoc Benjamin Sabatini reached out to Professor Mark Rau in late 2024, he had a simple question: could they recreate ancient instruments that people could actually play? Rau, who always wished he could hear the silent instruments behind museum glass, immediately said yes.

They partnered with Jared Katz, curator of musical instruments at the MFA, who had long dreamed of having access to advanced scanning technology. The MFA's collection includes over 1,450 instruments from six continents, with the oldest dating to around 1550 BCE.

The team uses a CT scanner to capture every detail of each instrument, inside and out. They combine these measurements with vibration testing using tiny hammers and lasers to understand exactly how each instrument produces sound.

For ceramic pieces like the Paracas whistle from ancient Peru, they create 3D-printed molds and cast replicas using traditional slip techniques. For wooden instruments, they plan to work with local craftspeople using old-growth wood to match the original materials.

The team has already scanned about 30 instruments and demonstrated their first playable replica at MIT's annual research event in November. Their goal is to scan at least 100 instruments, documenting each one for future study.

The Ripple Effect

This project does more than recreate sounds. It helps us understand the cultures that created these instruments through both their materials and music.

Museum visitors will soon be able to experience these instruments as they were meant to be experienced, not just as silent artifacts. The team is creating both physical replicas and digital versions that anyone can access.

Undergraduate students are getting hands-on experience reproducing ancient instruments in MIT's archaeology lab. Each replica protects the fragile original while allowing its voice to be heard again.

The technology is opening doors for musicians, researchers, and history lovers worldwide. Digital files mean someone in Tokyo could print and play a replica of an ancient Egyptian instrument.

These instruments were made to create music, to bring people together, and to celebrate life, and now they can again.