Final answer:
It is false to suggest that music's historical role can only be confirmed through documented history. Musical instruments from prehistory and research indicating music as a cultural universal prove its longstanding significance in human societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that there is no evidence that music played a role throughout the history of humankind until the tools to document history were available is false. Music has been an integral part of human cultures since prehistoric times, serving various purposes including communication, storytelling, healing, and expressing power. Prehistoric musical instruments like woodwinds and percussion instruments show that music artifacts were present and played a role in ancient cultures.
Furthermore, research, such as that conducted by Thomas Fritz of the Max Planck Institute, reveals the inherent ability of humans to understand emotional content in music despite cultural differences. This suggests that music transcends societal boundaries and is a cultural universal. Ethnomusicological studies provide insights into the importance of music throughout human history, highlighting its role in political, social, and spiritual aspects of human life.
In short, music is deeply engrained in the human experience and has continually evolved while retaining its fundamental essence as a medium of expression and communication, making it an inseparable aspect of humanity's historical narrative.