The Rock Gongs of Kupgal Hill
On a granite hill in Karnataka, Neolithic people struck boulders that ring like bells, and carved pictures on the rocks around them.
What was reported
Kupgal Hill, near Ballari in Karnataka, is a granite hill crossed by a band of dark dolerite rock. Thousands of years ago, Neolithic people carved hundreds of pictures of cattle, people and other figures on its rocks.
Among them are boulders that ring with a clear, metallic note when struck with a stone. They are covered with small cup-shaped hollows, worn by people striking them again and again.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists, including Nicole Boivin, have studied the site and concluded the boulders were used as rock gongs, probably in gatherings or ceremonies. Dolerite boulders resting on other rocks can vibrate freely and ring. The site suggests sound and music were important to the region's early farming communities.
- When
- Used thousands of years ago
- Where
- Kupgal, near Ballari, Karnataka, India
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and villagers
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.