on a reconstructed replica, oriented the instrument differently than the others and used the proximal part of the femur as a mouthpiece. On the anterior proximal part a straight cut sharpened edge is preserved, which was not considered by previous researchers. This artificially modified edge may actually be a remnant of the blowing edge of the mouthpiece. With this orientation of the instrument, the role of Hole 5, the single hole on the anterior side, was clarified. In the primary orientation, the location of this hole was too close to the mouthpiece and thus was dysfunctional. Hole 5 now became useful as a palm hole. The reconstructed instrument has three finger holes (Holes 1–3) on the posterior side and a palm hole (Hole 5) on the anterior side of the femur. An opening on the distal part is in the function of bell or closure. With a finger of the right hand, the notch on the posterior distal side may be formed into an additional hole. The opening provides the possibility of playing on an open or closed bell, which additionally enriches the tonal range. The Neanderthal flute is played two-handed with Hole 5 being used to extend the air column to twice its length. This is a solution not used by modern wind instruments and means that there is no need for doubling the length of the instrument or adding a higher number of holes. As such, the Neanderthal flute and method of playing on it have no suitable comparison in contemporary musical instruments. The reconstructed Neanderthal flute has a capability of 3½ octaves and all contemporary music genres can be played on it. It is possible to perform a series of musical articulations and ornamentations such as legato, staccato, double and triple tonguing, flutter-tonguing, glissando, chromatic scales, trills, broken chords, interval leaps, and melodic successions from the lowest to the highest tones. Dimkaroski came to conclusion that the four holes, their size and the distance between them, together with the distal end notch and the blowing edge of the mouthpiece comprise a system that enables a wide variety of sonority and melodic movement, and that such a system could not have emerged accidentally but was intentionally created. Any change in the system, whether changing the length of the instrument, adding or removing holes or an absence of sharpened blowing edge, evokes poorer musical expression as a consequence. Francois