STONES OF SOUND

STONES OF SOUND Dominika Wardzinska Figure 1. Parker Pearson M and Ramilisonina, 1998. Stonehenge for the Ancestors. The Stones Pass on the Message. Antiquity 72.1998, 318. Dominika Wardzinska S1884856 Address: Hansentraat 4A Email: [email protected] Telephon: 0628439025 1 STONES OF SOUND Are the Stones of Stonehenge having acoustic properties and how the sound examination improves archaeological research? DOMINIKA WARDZINSKA S1884956 Academic skills 1041AVY Ms. Dr. J.A. Mol Ms. C.G. Slappendel MPhil Ms. F.C.M. Tomas External lecturers (Academic Language Centre, University Library) Tutor group: Dr C. Tsoraki University of Leiden Faculty of Archaeology 25 Feb 2017 Leiden Final version 2 Contents 1. Introduction 2. Stonehenge in archaeological context 3. Concept of archaeoacoustics 4. Conducted research 4.1. Keating and Watson 4.2. Fazenda and Drumm 4.3. Till 5. Conclusion 6. Bibliography Figure 1: Plan of Stonehenge Figure 2: Location of Stonehenge in the researched context 4 4 6 7 7 7 8 9 10 Cover page 5 3 1. Introduction Stonehenge is perhaps most recognizable from all the stone circles in the UK, and many times is depicted as an iconic element of British culture (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 43-45). Shrouded in legend, mystical structure raised by druids as astronomical observatory or a temple (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 46). This and many more impressive achievements are commonly assigned to Stonehenge. Although, archaeology through excavation and science overthrow theories mentioned above. The most recent studies confirmed, that Stonehenge was built by the communities connected to Durrington Walls (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 50-51), and did not precisely incorporate astronomical alignments (Walker 1996, 15). Thus, there are other elements that archaeologists may focus on to answer multiple questions about this Neolithic structure that we all recognize nowadays. One of the focal points is the sound of Stonehenge. The idea of applying acoustic research to archeology is new and can reveal fresh, supplementary information (Scarre and Lawson 2006). To experience the world by the use of all the five senses sounds recognizable. Although, sound research application in reference to prehistory is a modern approach which gave a rise to archaeoacoustics. Through few examples from Stonehenge studies is possible to highlight importance of sound investigation as a part of archaeological studies. Thus, the main purpose of this paper, is to answer the question are the stones of Stonehenge having any acoustic properties and how the sound examination improves current archaeological research. 2. Stonehenge in archaeological context At the beginning, it is important to drew the image of the monument that going to be discussed. Stonehenge is a Neolithic-Bronze Age circular shaped enclosure located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England (Figure 2). Monument was built in five stages between 3000 and 1600 BC, although the most significant was the first two stages, when the circular ditch with an inner bank was created and the sarsen circle together with trilithons were raised. Later, the bluestones circle and central arc was created, as well as the other elements in the landscape, which together generated the final form of the monument (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 41-43). 4 Figure 2. Location of Stonehenge in the researched context. (Parker Pearson and Ramilisonina 1998, 318). Figure 2. presents research context of Stonehenge Riverside Project that lasted for several years and its main purpose was to study the monument together with the surrounding landscape (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 50). Perhaps the most interesting investigation of the project was to understand the connection between Durrington Walls and Stonehenge, and read the significant symbolism of River Avon. Although, what does it means, that stone monument was associated with the ancestors, with the cult of the death? To consider this in relevance to sound research it is important to understand a whole as a sort of ritual associated with feasting on a large scale. The prove for that is the SRP excavations along the Stonehenge 5 Avenue and the road leading from Durrington Walls along the River Avon (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 51-54). 3. Concept of archaeoacoustics However, as archaeology reviled physical proves, the assignment of archaeoacoustics is to investigate and understand human past beyond the materiality. Because sound operates in the time realm (Rossing 2007), acoustics provides information about so-called intangible elements of culture such as music and ritual (Till 2010, 1). The main purpose therefore is to study how past communities engaged with acoustics. Were the Neolithic people considered acoustics before building Stonehenge or was it rather accidental? The challenge of sound studies is thus to answer this question. Looking and listening are very much inseparable factors, vision and hearing are individual and social elements interacting in opposition and relation to others (Ingold 2000, 243-247). It is important therefore, to place Stonehenge in certain environment in relation to certain time period and certain development of societies. “It seems unlikely that the world was silent in the prehistory. Sound was present in all the aspects of peoples’ lives – from speech to the manufacture of stone tools” (Watson and Keating 1999, 325). Many artefacts dated back to the Palaeolithic shows significance of use of rough materials such as bone, wood and stone as musical elements. Therefore, it is very likely that human body, for example voice modulation or hand clapping were used even earlier in prehistory to emphasise the sound (Watson and Keating 1999, 325). In prehistory, especially if we imagine ourselves in the idyllic landscape of Salisbury Plain where Stonehenge is located, the nature is the main sound source. Therefore, stone structure must have been acoustically striking as it was unusual in Neolithic. However, was Stonehenge raised to create man-made sounds with special consideration? Methodology of archaeoacoustics is still in its infancy. Although, sound research at Stonehenge attracted already several researchers. 6 4. Conducted research 4.1. Keating and Watson First acoustic research on Stonehenge was conducted in 1998 by Keating and Watson. Investigation of acoustics includes measurement of few parameters such as echo, resonance and reverberation that occurs in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces (Rossing 2007, 16). Placing the loudspeaker in the centre of the monument and taking the measurements recording in the straight line towards the Avenue revealed impressive results. In the open space, the hill with low number of natural boundaries, like the Salisbury Plain, the echo was expected. Echo are the sounds a listener hears reflected from a hard surface (Till 2014). In assumption, the Stonehenge structure would affect the echo in the landscape. Moreover, taken measurements showed also significant sound contrast between inside and outside of the stone circle (Watson 2006). People outside the structure might not only have limited vision due to sarsen stones but also the sounds that they heard might be destroyed or seems very unusual. In contrast, people participating in the centre of Stonehenge might have heard amplified sounds affecting their voices. That happened due to resonance, a phenomenon that occurs in enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces such as Stonehenge, in which one system of sound drives another system to oscillate with greater amplitude at a specific frequency (Rossing 2007, 213). In other words, the form, shape and placement of both sarsen and bluestones created a barrier for a sound source in the centre of the stone circle and creating the mirror effect for the sound weaves. It strengths the sounds within the circle and deform the ones outside the enclosure. However, that was the first research done at Stonehenge, without taking in count state of the monument that very likely changed its appearance due to time lapse and previous research (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 41-48). Therefore, few updates have been done at the stone circle including many different factors and scenarios approved by archaeological research. 4.2. Fazenda and Drumm Further recreation of the sound within the monument used newer technological devices and methodology. It based on the auralisation process, which allows experiencing the soundfields of sites not existing in their original form. Definition of auralisation is provided as 7 process of rendering audible, by physical or mathematical modelling of the sound field at a given position in the modelled space. (Rossing 2007, 316). Fazenda and Drumm working on that research, created a brief overview of a few acoustic parameters from measurements taken in the current Stonehenge site and compared it with same measurements taken in Maryhill monument in the Washington state, USA (Fazenda and Drumm 2011). This monument was built as a memorial of the First World War victims and appears as a full size concrete replica of Stonehenge completed in 1926 (Till 2014, 7). Although plan of the monument was based on the archaeological research, it is important to mention that those plans created for Maryhill, were depended on speculations of first amateur archaeologists (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011, 46). Consequently, Maryhill monument does not mean that Stonehenge in its final phase in ca. 1500 B.C. looked exactly like it appears in USA replica and it can affect results of acoustic comparison. The surfaces of both, sarsen and bluestones as well as their position is meaningful for reflection and diffraction of sound. However, this sound research confirmed pervious research (Keating and Watson 1999) that listener inside the stone circle, back in Neolithic, must have experienced unusual sound field for an outdoor space. Auralisation process conducted at Maryhill monument refer to “significant reflected energy” (Fazenda and Drumm 2011, 5) which is differently distributed along the axis of the monument and “the ambisonic causes are only correct to a centrally placed listener” (Fazenda and Drumm 2011, 6). Conclusion of this research were weak acoustic properties resulted from measurements taken at original Stonehenge structure in UK, and slightly better results according to Maryhill monument in USA. However, there is highlighted several times that Stonehenge nowadays is ruined and the Maryhill concrete structures are not exact shape of original sarsen stones and that there are several technical limitations affecting the final results (Fazenda and Drumm 2011, 4-9). 4.3. Till Hopes and ideas returned probably according to the publication of impressive results about landscape research and archaeological excavation conducted for Stonehenge Riverside Project (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011). Therefore, another and most recent acoustic research that has been done at Stonehenge and Maryhill (Till 2010). In opposition to previous researchers it seems to plan much wider range of sound studies supported by dozens of literature sources included publications of several disciplines like philosophy or cognitive 8 archaeology but also commercial literature. Concept of this research refers to mentioned before theories of inseparable vision and hearing factors (Ingold 2000) and Stonehenge as an important part of mortuary celebration practices (Chan and Parker Pearson 2011). Research concept took in count relation to various kinds of ritual activity associated with dance and music, often inspired by traditions in African cultures. Very detailed plan founds in advance however, that “it is not thought that sound and acoustics alone will lead to unlocking of the secrets of the site, but that they will contribute to our growing understanding of it” (Till 2010, 2). Further reading of the paper although, lists numerous advantages of what acoustic research and power of music may prove, which presents high expectations of the project. In result the research confirmed unusual acoustic effects in relation to inside – outside mentioned during the first field research also as voice deformation (Keating and Watson 1999). However, it was impossible to predict or record any pattern for such sound behaviour (Till 2010, 9). Like it is concluded, remarkable low frequency results require further studies. Although, the sound effects seem focusing towards the Avenue and also on several key points of structure like Heel Stone, Altar Stone and largest trilithons (Till 2010, 11). Through this research, the comparison of field studies at Stonehenge, Maryhill monuments and use of digital recreation of sounds highlight interesting results (Till 2010, 16 – 22). 5. Conclusion Referring to all the above, the excavation and its analysis is not the only perspective in archaeological studies to look at Stonehenge. Through archaeoacoustics research it is possible to get the sensual feeling about the complete structure, which is, as proven above expands our horizons and give us another point of view on the prehistory. Archaeoacoustics probably require more development in methodology, however most recent studies show that amount of interesting results and details along the structure might be a strong argument for theory of acoustic consideration by Neolithic people. Further research might highlight more information and it is very likely that scientific methods connecting traditional archaeology and sensual experience of space through sound studies might improve archaeoacoustics as a single scientific discipline practiced by academics widespread. 9 6. Bibliography Bevins, R.E., N.J.G. Pearce, and R.A. Ixer, 2011. Stonehenge rytholic blustones and the application of zircon chemistry as a new tool for provenancing rhytolic lithics. Journal of Archaeological Science 38,605-622. Chan B., and M. Parker Pearson, 2011. Past, Present and Future at Stonehenge: Research into the World’s most famous Stone Circle. In C. von Carnap-Bornheim (eds) Status and Future Perspectives of Long-Term Excavations in Europe. Archaeological State Museum and Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (Archaeological State Museum). Fazenda, B., and I. Drumm, 2011. Recreating the Sound of Stonehenge. The Acoustics of Ancient Theatres Conference Patras, September 18-21, 2011, Acoustics Research Centre, The University of Salford. Salford, UK. Ingold, T., 2000. The perception of the environment. Essay on livelihood, dwelling and skill. London: Routledge. Parker Pearson, M., R. Bevins, R. Ixer, J. Pollard, C. Richards, K. Welham, B. Chan, K. Edinborough, D. Hamilton, R. Macphail, D. Schlee, J. Schwenninger, E. Simmons, and M. Smith, 2015. Craig Rhos-y-felin: a Welsh bluestone megalith quarry for Stonehenge. Antiquity 89, 1331-1352. Rossing, T. D., 2007. Springer handbook of acoustics. New York: Springer. Scarre Ch., and G. Lawson, 2006. Archaeoacoustics. Cambridge: McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research and Oxbow Books. Till, R., 2010. Songs of the Stones: an investigation into the musical history and culture of Stonehenge. International Association for the Study of Popular Music Journal 1, 1-18. Till, R., 2014. Sound archaeology: terminology, Palaeolithic cave art and the soundscape. World Archaeology 46, 292-304. Walker, Ch. (eds), 1996. Astronomy before the telescope. London: British Museum Press. Watson, A., and D. Keating, 1999. Architecture and sound: an acoustic analysis of megalithic monuments in prehistoric Britain. Antiquity 73, 325-336. Watson A., 2006. (Un)intentional sound: acoustics and Neolithic monuments. In G. Lawson and C. Scarre (eds) Acoustics, space and intentionality: identifying intentionality in the ancient use of acoustic spaces and structures. McDonald Institute (Archaeological Research Monograph). 10 Figure 1. Parker Pearson M and Ramilisonina, 1998. Stonehenge for the Ancestors. The Stones Pass on the Message. Antiquity 72.1998, 318. Figure 2. Parker Pearson M and Ramilisonina, 1998. Stonehenge for the Ancestors. The Stones Pass on the Message. Antiquity 72.1998, 318. 7. List of figures Figure 1: Plan of Stonehenge. Cover page. Figure 2: Location of Stonehenge in the researched context. 11