Featured: Explore Scotland (and everywhere else) with our Megalithic Portal iPhone app

Explore Scotland (and everywhere else) with our Megalithic Portal iPhone app

Random Image

Genna Corte Nuraghe

Genna Corte Nuraghe

Art as Metaphor: The Prehistoric Rock-art of Britain

Art as Metaphor: The Prehistoric Rock-art of Britain

Login

Register here - as a registered user you get more features and fewer ads.

Who's Online

There are currently, 487 guests and 7 members online.

Sponsors

British Museum given Rock Gongs from the Sudan Rock Art Sudan

Submitted by Runemage on Thursday, 06 May 2010  Page Views: 6290

Rock Art

<< News >>

Country: Sudan Type: Rock Art

Internal Links:

For over ten years the British Museum have been working with the Sudan Archaeological Research Society, surveying, recording and excavating the region surrounding the Fourth Cataract of the Nile in Sudan prior to the damming of the river. This would have led to the loss of historically important sites which included over 50 pieces of rock art and rock gongs dating to between 5000 BC – AD 1500. In recognition of this assistance 20 pieces have been donated to the British Museum.

In addition to a number of pieces of early rock art depicting camels, sheep, cows and human beings there are two rock gongs. These would probably have been played by striking them with quartzite pebbles. Rock gongs and rock art are often to be found in the same location, as seen in an episode of the BBC series Lost Kingdoms of Africa. The British Museum is apparently hoping to have the gongs, plus some of the rock art, on display by August 2010.

(Source: British Museum press release and email via lithophones.com

Note: See also the comment about the new lithophone being created in Cumbria
Contributor Bio for Runemage: Based in UK, contributing since 2005. Favourite site: Uragh.

·
News
·
Please add your thoughts on this site

Rock Art and the Prehistory of Atlantic Europe, Bradley

Rock Art and the Prehistory of Atlantic Europe, Bradley

More on Rock Art

Sponsors

More News

See all News →

"British Museum given Rock Gongs from the Sudan" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Re: New Rock Instrument for Cumbria by Anonymous on Thursday, 21 July 2011
Its wonderful and amazing Iam from the mention area in sudan we are the affected people of the Dam and amember of the Manasit commitee its the first time to know about our history Ancient history which the Dam authority want to steal it and store it to their tribe (this what we have in sudan we are bak to tribe influence instead of nation )
Iam from Sauer island Manasir .
Iwould like to know more also Iam intrest to get acses for the New books which been puplished recentley which cover the
fourth catract ancient history
Name is Hashim.A.Elegizule
Email: [email protected]
[ Reply to This ]

Re: New Rock Instrument for Cumbria by Anonymous on Saturday, 12 March 2011
about the above subject as iknow the discovies of the rock gang was located in the fourth catract in Almanasir mainley in BONI ISLAND
[ Reply to This ]

Re: New Rock Instrument for Cumbria by Anonymous on Saturday, 12 March 2011
Iam very intrested in the above subject and Idid write in the same subject before but Iam not sure if it being recieve or not any way Ineed your assistance in geting to the old history of sudan mainley the perioud before Kerma and kerma l Napta l Merowe then the christian period Iam impresed by the late disvovries in the fourth catract and Iwould like to know more about it
Name is : Hashim.A.Elegizule
tel 00249 912951135
Email: [email protected]
[ Reply to This ]

New Rock Instrument for Cumbria by Andy B on Thursday, 06 May 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
The world-famous percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie is taking part in a new project which introduces children to geology by constructing and playing ‘musical rocks’.

The University of Leeds has been awarded nearly £200,000 by Natural England, through DEFRA's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, to create a 21st century percussion instrument using rocks found throughout Cumbria.

Although most rocks simply give a dull thud when struck, some rocks 'ring' - including a number of those found in Cumbria. With the assistance of music and multimedia technologies, this project will use real-time digital signal processing to bring out the qualities of the rock sound beyond the range of natural hearing - making an innovative percussion instrument.

The rocks will be donated by quarries in Cumbria, reflecting the range of geological time and the different types of rock represented in the region. Local schoolchildren will make quarry visits and collect rocks for instruments of their own.

The project co-ordinator, Bobbie Millar, at the University of Leeds said: "This project is a great example of bringing together different disciplines to create something that is unusual, exciting and accessible. For some people geology can seem very academic, but this project is designed to make it fun and understandable by blending it with music and technology."

The project is being hosted by Brantwood, the former home of philosopher John Ruskin, and will reflect Ruskin's approach to geology, nature and music.

As well as constructing instruments from musical rocks and stones, the project will link multimedia, computer vision, computer music and digital media, to create interactive explanations of the geology and musical properties of the selected rocks.

Dame Evelyn Glennie said: "This project links closely to many new and conceptual ideas. It seeks to unlock the potential of the fabric of our landscape to teach us not only about the past but also the future. It is right and proper that the natural curiosity of children is embraced and they will be able to embed their findings of both music and geology into the history books of tomorrow.

"My personal hope is that many others will follow in our footsteps and add to this initial development of an interesting instrument thus unlocking the mysteries of these ancient rocks and landscape".

The musical rock instrument will be available to be played by visitors of all ages after its launch in August 2010. Brantwood will host the installation which will include a large rock instrument, interactive electronics and related interpretation materials in the Linton Room, a small stone cottage adjacent to the main house with views over Coniston Water.

Inmates of Haverigg Prison at Millom in Cumbria will also help with the construction of the frames for the rock instruments. Haverigg Prison has an established relationship with the Ruskin Foundation through a number of collaborative projects.

The project is being led by Bruce Yardley, Professor in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds. Geologists with extensive knowledge of the Lake District are also taking part, as well as Dr Kia Ng director of the Leeds University Interdisciplinary Centre for Scientific Research in Music (ICSRiM), instrument specialists and the staff at Brantwood.

Dame Evelyn Glennie will demonstrate the completed instrument at its launch on 19 August 2010, which is open to the public.

Source: University of Leeds press release via http://www.lithophones.com/index.php?id=3 , with thanks again to Runemage
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.