Also known as a jaw or 'Jew's harp', the reed is placed in the performer's mouth and plucked with the finger to produce the note.
The instrument - 4 inches in length - was made by a craftsman from the ribs of a cow or horse and dates from the time the nomadic Huns controlled southern Siberia 1,580 to 1,740 years ago.
An ancient mouth harp belonging to the Huns, dating back around 1,700 years, has been unearthed in Siberia - and it is still capable of making music
The instrument was found at an archaeological site in the Altai Mountains.
Another similar harp, less well preserved, was found alongside it at the Cheremshanka site, and three more unfinished instruments were discovered at a nearby archaeological dig called Chultukov Log 9.
Specifically the instruments belonged to Maiminskaya cattle breeders, part of the vast warrior empire of the Huns, a nomadic community originating in Central Asia.
The finds were announced by Professor Andrey Borodovsky, of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk, part of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
'One of the harps is so perfectly preserved that you can play it', said Dr Borodovsky.
'But there will be slight sound distortion because a tiny part was damaged', he added.
The ancient craftsmen used the middle of the rib, splintering it into two parts, he told The Siberian Times.
Such harps are among the world's most ancient musical instruments.
Also known as a jaw or Jew's harp, the reed is placed in the performer's mouth and plucked with the finger to produce the note. Other finds (pictured) were made at two sites - Chultukov Log 9 and Cheremshanka in Altai Republic
The instrument - four inches in length - was made by a craftsman from the ribs of a cow or horse and dates from the time the nomadic Huns controlled southern Siberia 1,580 to 1,740 years ago
Jew's harps are widely distributed in Oceania and Asia - particularly in tribal cultures. The non-European ones are often cut from a single piece of bamboo or wood.
European ones generally have a pear-shaped metal frame with a metal tongue.
It could have been spread by the Huns who travelled to Europe and threatened what was left of the Roman Empire.
It is likely they fled from a dry period in Asia. Searching for food and water, they conquered as they went.
The instruments belonged to Maiminskaya cattle breeders, part of the vast warrior empire of the Huns, a nomadic community in Central Asia. Pictured is a Jew's harp being used
The ancient craftsmen used the middle of the rib, splintering it into two parts. Such harps are among the world's most ancient musical instruments
The instruments, found in the Altai mountains (pictured), were announced by Professor Andrey Borodovsky, of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk, part of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
By 216 A.D. - when their territory was split into five successor states - the Huns had extended their area of control north to Siberia, south to Tibet, east to the Pacific Ocean and west to the Caspian Sea.
The herders' diet was high in meat and fish.
The Hun also ate lots of millet, which has a distinctive chemical signature that can be identified in human bones.
The instrument, despite its name, has no connection with Jews or Judaism.
The instrument was found at an archaeological site in the Altai Mountains. Pictured is Chultukov Log where three more unfinished instruments were discovered
The condition of the best find is good enough to play again, the expert said. One of the less well preserved finds was found alongside it at the Cheremshanka site.