How to play an ancient rock gong

The British Museum invited Dr Cornelia Kleinitz, an archaeologist specialising in rock art, and Liam Williamson, a modern rock drummer, to try and discover how a rock gong might have been played. This was the result. Rock gongs are a type of lithophone that were used for thousands of years in several parts of Africa. They may have been used as part of rituals, to signal other people, or as a form of expression. Although they look like plain boulders, they have a hollow, metallic sound when struck due to the composition of the rock. This film was created with the African rock art image project which is supported by the Arcadia Fund. For more information visit: