Drums are the world's oldest musical instruments so it may not be easy to say which type was invented first because their “basic design has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years.” The first recorded appearance of drums (originally made from alligator skins) was linked to 5,500 BC during the latter part of the Stone Age in China. I’ve also seen other references to drums dating back to about 6,000 BC that were discovered during archeological digs in the area of Mesopotamia.
