Origins of string instruments stuff

[PoodlesAgain]

This past weekend, at a folk festival, I saw these folks:


(not exact performance, similar contents)

The musician to the right plays a kamancheh,.
A fun listen. I am very fond of the low string rumble sound!
Apparently, the kamancheh is the child of the ancient rabab, which found its way as far as what is now Indonesia. it must have been a staple of starry night entertainment in oases along the Silk Road (binge-watching on the SR at home right now!)

Same musician has a fun musical essay here:


So this family of bowed string instrument can also be played by plucking strings, and you mix it up with a luth, and there you go, you got a guitar!
Other remote derivative led to the viola de gamba, and ultimately the violin.