What Was The Drum Originally Made For?

It is believed that the history of the drum is as old as that of intelligent man himself. Of course at first the concept must have been simply to bang something to make Noise. Drums were probably used as a means of communication. Signal drums where messages could be sent over large distances, this was still found to be the purpose of drums in several aboriginal societies. Drums were also used in religion, as a warning or alarm and for warfare. Drums were used in Roman galleys to measure the strokes of the slaves. But the drums use as a device of war has transcended cultures. It can still be seen as a standard part of any military parade.

The oldest known drums date back to 6000BC and the Neolithic Era. Ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, Peru and Egypt all made use of drums.