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Ancient music
Clockwise, from top left:
- Marble mosaic of a Sasanian harpist playing angular harp, c. 260 CE, from the palace of Shapur I in Bishapur
- The monumental Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng, c. 5th century BCE, from Hubei
- Musicians from a wall in Bonampak, an Ancient Mayan site
Ancient music refers to the musical cultures and practices that developed in the literate civilizations of the ancient world, succeeding the music of prehistoric societies and lasting until the post-classical era. Major centers of ancient music developed in China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran/Persia, the Maya civilization, Mesopotamia, and Rome. Though extremely diverse, the music of ancient civilizations is frequently characterized by monophony, improvisation, and the dominance of text in musical settings.[1]
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