Articles
Were palaeolithic cave paintings placed because of acoustic response?
Seminar
Were palaeolithic cave paintings placed because of acoustic response?
December 03rd, 2018 | 16:00 | Room TB314 | FCSH/NOVA
Abstract
Previous archaeoacoustics work published from the 1980’s to the 2000’s has suggested that the location of palaeolithic paintings in French caves, such as Le Portel, Niaux, Isturitz and Arcy-sur-Cureis, are associated with the acoustic response of those locations. The methods used to support this theory were, according to today’s standards, less than ideal. During this talk I will discuss recent work I and colleagues in archaeology and musicology have carried out in caves in the Asturian and Cantabrian regions of Northern Spain using state of the art acoustic technology and modern methods for scientific analysis. Based on our measurements, we demonstrate evidence of a statistical association between paintings and the acoustic responses measured within these caves. A number of sound examples will be used and the talk will focus on the interpretation of these results.
