A team of scientists has suggested that the miniature flutes made from bird bones, dating back 12,000 years and found in northern Israel, could have been used for bird calls during a period when humans were developing their relationships with animals.

Seven small wing bones uncovered at a dig site in the Hula Valley – a popular bird-watching spot to this day – were identified to have tiny holes bored into the bones for finger placement and as a mouthpiece.

The research team made replicas of the fragile originals, which they found emitted high-pitched trills resembling the calls of birds of prey.

One theory is that the flutes were used to attract the birds of prey – namely the Eurasian Sparrowhawk and the Common Kestrel – to frighten waterfowl, making them easier to catch.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Scientific Report by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the French Research Center in Jerusalem, the National Center for Scientific Research and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Over 500 million birds pass through the Hula Valley each year as they migrate between Europe and Africa, making it a popular destination for bird watchers.

The flute bones, which came from Eurasian coots and Eurasian teals, were found in the Eynan/Ain Mallaha dig site linked to hunter-gatherers from the final Natufian period 12,000 years ago.

That was a period when our ancestors were beginning to settle down, farm and domesticate animals, said forensic anthropologist Tal Simmons of Virginia Commonwealth University, who identified the type of birds.

The use of flutes to communicate with the birds, Simmons said, was "really cementing that transition to a time when the relationship between humans and animals began to change."