| Percussion instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Membranophone |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 211.2 (Tubular drums) |
| Developed | China |
Thealligator drum (simplified Chinese:鼍鼓;traditional Chinese:鼉鼓;pinyin:tuó gǔ) is a type ofdrum once used inNeolithic China, made from clay and alligator hides.
Alligator drums have been found over a broad area at theNeolithic sites from modernShandong in the east toQinghai in the west, dating to a period of 5500–2350 BC. In literary records, drums manifested shamanistic characteristics and were often used in ritual ceremonies.[1] Drums covered with alligator skin for ceremonial use are mentioned in theShijing.[2][3][4]
During the Archaic period,alligators probably lived along the east coast of China, including southernShandong. The earliest alligator drums, comprising a wooden frame covered with alligator skin, are found in the archaeological sites atDawenkou, as well as several sites ofLongshan.
Typical acoustic characteristics of the alligator drum are as follows: frequency: 4100–2600 Hz, amplitude: 3000–2000 dB, and wavelength: 2300–1900 Hz.[5]