The Acoustics of Stonehenge: Researchers Build a Model to Understand How Sound Reverberated within the Ancient Structure

[AdamG]

Very interesting read. Audio Science was alive and well in 2200 BC, or 4300 years ago!

Quote to wet your reading appetite:
“Indeed, the effect was so pronounced that “the placement of the stones was capable of amplifying the human voice by more than four decibels, but produced no echoes,” notes Artnet. This suggests that the site’s acoustic properties were not accidental, but designed as part of its essential function for an elite group of participants, “even though the site’s construction would have required a huge amount of manpower.” This is hardly different from other monumental ancient religious structures like pyramids and ziggurats, built for royalty and an elite priesthood. But it’s only one interpretation of the structure’s purpose.”

The complete article here: https://www.openculture.com/2021/06/the-acoustics-of-stonehenge.html

 

[Wes]

science??

but thx for the link

 

[AdamG]

science??

but thx for the link

Certainly a full scale model was built. Was it Scientific? At the time, maybe? We’re talking 4000 years ago. Was the building of the Pyramids Science?

 

[DVDdoug]

Spinal Tap was the 1st thing that came to my mind! My favorite band! It's always the 1st thing I think of when I hear or read "Stonehenge".

I was once in a corridor/entrance of a building with a concave ceiling. There was lots of sound reflection to the point that you couldn't even converse. I couldn't resist clapping my hands to test the acoustics and there were many short echoes that sounded "filtered", something like a spring reverb. It's the weirdest acoustic space I've ever been in!

Of course it that built with no thought of acoustics and it's just an architectural screw-up. I have no idea if the Stonehenge builders had acoustics in mind or not. Any structure is going to have some kind of acoustical characteristics but it's rarely the main consideration if it's considered at all.

 

[Wes]

Certainly a full scale model was built. Was it Scientific? At the time, maybe? We’re talking 4000 years ago. Was the building of the Pyramids Science?

Science normally requires hypothesis testing via experiments with controls.

I don't see anything suggesting that was done when building it. Speculatively, they may have built previous ones, then iterated (n = exp.; with n-1 being a control) and then removed all evidence of the previous builds...

 

[Katji]

[ ...“Stonehenge’s outer circle of standing sarsen stones — a type of silcrete rock found in southern England... ]

I wonder how far they moved the stones. Near enough to drag them, otherwise did they have ox-carts?

 

[Phorize]

[ ...“Stonehenge’s outer circle of standing sarsen stones — a type of silcrete rock found in southern England... ]

I wonder how far they moved the stones. Near enough to drag them, otherwise did they have ox-carts?

Many of the stones are likely from a site in Wales, and they didn’t have oxen or the wheel. That’s commitment right there.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/stonehenge-roots-wales-stone-circle-archaeology

 

[audiofooled]

There seems to be a number of so called "whispering galleries" around the world, some of which came to being as such unintentionally...

https://sincyscience.com/2016/12/22/the-acoustic-effects-of-barossa-valley-reservoir/

 

[audiofooled]

Many of the stones are likely from a site in Wales, and they didn’t have oxen or the wheel. That’s commitment right there.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/stonehenge-roots-wales-stone-circle-archaeology

This guy could have done it himself, I wonder if he managed to finish it?

 

[Vandemann]

Reminds me of two things. First was an evening in Epidauros Greece in the ancient theater. The acoustics are so good that when an audience member whispered a stupid comment to the person next to him the entire audience heard it and booed.

https://novoscriptorium.com/2019/06/30/study-explains-the-epidaurus-theater-acoustic-marvel/

The other is this analysis of the acoustics in Hagia Sophia, Turkey by Stanford University:

"The interior causes two important acoustic effects. The first is amplification as the sung notes are sustained for a long time. A gradual build-up emerges as more sound energy is continually added and slowly absorbed. This phenomenon produces a fuller and richer sound. The second effect is that of overlapping and dissolving of notes. The building responds to the monody by producing high-frequency returns that interact and gradually evolve from dissonant to consonant harmonics.[8] This second effect leads to a brighter sound; a phenomenon further enhanced by the domes and semi-domes. Raised almost fifty-seven meters above the floor, the cupola reflects and scatters the sound waves, producing the effect of an acoustic rain over a much wider area of the floor.[9] The dome causes the high-frequency short-wavelengths of the harmonics that the space produces to concentrate here and be reflected and scattered continuously. This phenomenon stirs the synaesthetic effect of aural and optical brightness as it combines the acoustic reflection with the visual reflection of light off the gold mosaics. As a result, the sonic brightness acts like a mirror reflecting the human vocal energy and in the process producing a radiant vision of the imagined splendor of the angelic choirs.[10] This luminous celestial voice is more prominent when the building is full. At these moments people and their clothing absorb most of the reflections off the polished surface of the floor. This process enhances the experience of an ephemeral concentration of sonic energy in the golden superstructure. In its volatile state, it quickly transforms into a golden sonic “rain.”[11] The semi-domes and the conches also produce the sensation of multiple waterfalls staggered at different times and places as they reach the listener. They contribute as well to the development of enveloping sound as they redirect and scatter the sound waves. While listening to sound under the dome is more uniform, further away from the dome the complexity of these staggered waterfalls acquires prominence.[12]

https://ccrma.stanford.edu/groups/iconsofsound/hagiasophiaacoustics/

 

[kyle_neuron]

I do some work with Salford’s Acoustic Lab on aerospace projects, so can confirm that this is proper science! Archeo-acoustics is a really interesting field, and I love that this has been investigated properly.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440320301394 for the paper

Ancient ‘woo’ with sound is a brilliant field of curiosity. It’s very easy to make giant leaps, but those are fun mental explorations. Who doesn’t want to be Indiana Jones, but with a measurement microphone instead of a whip?

 

[EL_PW]

Looks like the BBC is trying to recycle the article in a very lazy way:

What did Stonehenge sound like?

New research into the prehistoric site's acoustical properties is revealing that the stone circle may have been used for exclusive ceremonies.

www.bbc.com

 

[Leeken]

I’ve done the last 3 solstice’s at Stonehenge,it is indeed a very nice acoustical setting for the drumming after dark,we all seem very happy with the precise placement of the stones,unfortunately tho haven’t yet been sad enough to take my umik1 and laptop to run a few sweeps and suggest maybe moving the trilithon a little to the left