The Oldest ‘Phone’ Was Two Gourds and a String

Imagine a communication device from more than a thousand years ago. But this ancient “phone” had nothing in common with the phones we use today.

It consisted of two dried gourds connected by a tightly stretched cord. While it’s unlikely the device could transmit human speech, it was possible to communicate with a series of taps. Tapping one empty gourd sent sound along the cord, and the other gourd amplified it as a resonator.

Remnants of such a communication device were discovered in the ruins of an ancient Peruvian palace.