Drums and percussion instruments play a rhythmic role in nearly every
genre of music, spanning centuries and continents.
Artifacts from
China suggest that percussionists played drums made from alligator skins
as far back as 5500 B.C, and iconography from ancient Mesopotamian,
Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures show the use of drums in religious
ceremonies and cultural gatherings.
Like most musical instruments, different drums slowly evolved over
centuries of innovation.