There's no specific person who has been identified as the inventor of the xylophone. Xylophones can be traced back to being invented in both Asia and Africa. A little evidence suggests that the instrument originated in Indonesia; however, most experts disregard the evidence.
The xylophone has been traced back to the 9th century in Southeast Asia. Even though the xylophone has been around for thousands of years, its first entry into a dictionary occurred in the 19th century. In Greek, xylophone means "wooden sound." Some modern xylophones have metal bars that are struck with a mallet to produce sound. However, ancient versions were made of wood.