Study sheds new light on mysterious Stone Age drums

Archaeologists have used sophisticated techniques to study the enigmatic Folkton drums—three solid, decorated chalk cylinders dating back thousands of years that were found years ago in the grave of a child in England. Results showed that some of the decorations and motifs on the drums were erased and reworked, and they have discovered previously unknown decorations.

According to a paper published in the latest edition of the journal Antiquity, the drums, if that’s what they really are, probably date back at least 4,000 years. The British Museum, which has the drums in its collection, said the practice of burying people with grave goods began in the British Isles around 3000 BC. The child’s grave dates to between 2600 and 2000 BC.