I recall reading a while back about an attempt to extract sound from the groves in ancient pots that were spun upon a potter's wheel. My recollection is that the attempt was unsuccessful, but wouldn't that be something to be able to hear sounds from potentially thousands of years ago.
You can hear Alexander Graham Bell speaking at a bit after 9:00
This is a podcast supplement to a New Yorker article [1] that is behind a paywall. There's also an earlier post [2] on the subject.