Move over Jagger, these ageing stones are making a comeback! Ancient "xylophone" played for first time in thousands of years

By

Mail Online Reporter

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The Rolling Stones may be the most famous group of ageing rockers, but they have nothing on this group of ageing rocks which are to be played in Paris for the first time.

The ancient lithophone, a collection of two dozen tuned rocks which are played much like a modern-day xylophone, are to be chimed again thousands of years after they were first used.

But after just three shows, two next Saturday and a third the following Monday, the precious stones will be packed away again for good.

An ancient lithophone, which dates back thousands of years, is to be played in Paris during three concerts

Lithophone expert Erik Gonthier is helping oversee the concerts before the stones are packed away for good

Prehistorian Odile Romain, alongside paleomusicologist and lithophone specialist Erik Gonthier, are overseeing the project.

Lithophones, a word which comes from litho, meaning rock, and phone, meaning sound, were common instruments in ancient times and have been discovered in more than 50 countries.

The oldest, which date back around 4,000 years, were found in Vietnam by French ethnologist Georges Condominas in 1949.

Lithophones, which are still used as percussion instruments to this day, are usually carved out of large pieces of rock.

Lithophones were common musical instruments in ancient times, with tuned rocks found in 50 countries around the world, and the oldest discovered in Vietnam

However there are several examples of ‘living’ lithophones around the world, made from naturally occurring stalactites and stalagmites.

Mfangano Island, in Lake Victoria, Kenya, the Great Stalacpipe Organ of Luray Caverns, Virginia, Tenkasi in South India and Ringing Rocks Park in Pennsylvania all contain lithophones made from natural rock formations.

There is a working lithophone in the UK, located in the Keswick Museum, Joseph Richardson’s Rock Harmonicon was built in the late nineteenth century using slate and can still be played by visitors.

Comments (15)

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lyntwo,

Saint Paul,

7 minutes ago

But are there differences in musical scale in the found examples of the ancient lithophones? What can they tell us of the musical appreciation of ancient humans?

lyntwo,

Saint Paul,

9 minutes ago

But are there differences in musical scales amongst the examples of the ancient lithophones found about the world?

Resnam,

Currently Instructing in Dubai, United Kingdom,

11 minutes ago

Be a laugh if he broke one.

Minka,

London, United Kingdom,

25 minutes ago

Isn’t it a xylo-stone?

PavanRChawla,

Mumbai, India,

34 minutes ago

LOL, brilliant headline, DM!

CommentatorfromUK,

PeterboroEUSSR, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

…and it will sound just as c*%p as most modern “music”.

Capt Dan,

jupiter,

1 hour ago

Gonna rock around the clock tonight!

Rusty Farian,

London., United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

Will they be playing classic rock ?

PavanRChawla,

Mumbai, India,

15 minutes ago

Good one!

N.McC.,

Birmingham, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

All rocks are prehistoric.

Magnus,

Kirkwall,

1 hour ago

Interesting but where’s the video when you need it?

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Move over Jagger, these ageing stones are making a comeback! Ancient "xylophone" played for first time in thousands of years