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Book: The Sound Book: The Science of the Sonic Wonders of the World by Trevor Cox
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Authors: Trevor Cox
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favorite is the story of the broken wine bottles found under the stages and in the attics, walls, and crawl spaces of some of the great European concert halls. Were these artifacts evidence of an ancient technique for improving acoustics, as some have claimed? No, just evidence of the drinking habits of construction workers.
Another myth Beranek notes is the assumption that wooden auditoriums are best because the walls vibrate like the body of a violin. But actually it is better to make the surfaces hard so that sound is not needlessly absorbed. Newer halls that are lined with wood, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space concert hall, actually use thin veneers of wood glued solidly onto concrete or other heavy and thick substrates.
Greek and Roman theaters are remarkable sonic wonders in which thousands of spectators can hear without the aid of modern electronics. They were clearly designed to achieve good acoustics, but were the Greeks the first skilled acoustic craftsmen?
S ound is ephemeral, disappearing as soon as itâs made, so it is difficult to know exactly what our ancient ancestors heard. Evidence of prehistoric acoustics is very sketchy. Musical artifacts provide some of the most robust evidence of our ancestorsâ sonic world.
The oldest known wind instruments are flutes made from bird bones and ivory, found in a cave in Geissenklösterle, Germany, about 36,000 years old, from the Upper Paleolithic era. 16 The best preserved is made from a hollow vultureâs wing bone. It is about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long with a V-shaped notch at one end and five fingering holes.
How can archaeologists be confident that the bones were musical instruments? Holes could be made accidentally; unbelievably, swallowing and regurgitation by hyenas can create round holes in bones. 17 But the Geissenklösterle bones have signs of deliberate and careful working, implying that the holes were precisely and purposefully placed. A replica was made and played. Treating the vultureâs wing bone like a flute and blowing over the edge at one end produces a note. Pretending the bone is like a small trumpet and blowing a raspberry down the tube is also effective. 18
Besides flutes, there is evidence of 30,000-year-old percussion and scraping instruments, along with the prehistoric use of ringing rocks and cave acoustics. A xylophone made from stone might seem an implausible musical instrument, more likely to produce a disappointing clunk than a resonating bong, but certain stones can generate notes. Examples are found around the world: from the tall slender rows of musical pillars in the Vittala Temple in Hampi, India, which ring like bells, to the large rock gongs in the Serengeti, Africa, made from boulders and covered in percussive marks, which make metallic clangs.
Nicole Boivin, from the University of Oxford, has studied the rocky outcrops at Kupgal Hill, southern India. These formations contain boulders of dolerite that create loud ringing tones when hit with granite stones. But did ancient people ever play the rocks? The best evidence is the Neolithic rock art alongside the percussion marks, showing that the site was used for many thousands of years. 19 In a cave at Fieux à Miers in the south of France, there is a large, 2-meter-high (about 7-foot) stalagmite that rings like a gong. Fractures from when it was struck have been dated to 20,000 years ago. 20 Dating percussion marks on rock gongs can be difficult, but in this case the new layers of calcite over the damage give an inkling of the age. Whatâs more, this cave was only recently unsealed, and other prehistoric artifacts found inside indicate when it was occupied.
When I was younger I used to go caving, and I was strictly warned to be very careful of delicate stalactites and stalagmites. Earlier, in the mid-twentieth century, attitudes were more relaxed, allowing an act of âvandalismâ to produce the most fantastical stone instrument.
Another myth Beranek notes is the assumption that wooden auditoriums are best because the walls vibrate like the body of a violin. But actually it is better to make the surfaces hard so that sound is not needlessly absorbed. Newer halls that are lined with wood, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space concert hall, actually use thin veneers of wood glued solidly onto concrete or other heavy and thick substrates.
Greek and Roman theaters are remarkable sonic wonders in which thousands of spectators can hear without the aid of modern electronics. They were clearly designed to achieve good acoustics, but were the Greeks the first skilled acoustic craftsmen?
S ound is ephemeral, disappearing as soon as itâs made, so it is difficult to know exactly what our ancient ancestors heard. Evidence of prehistoric acoustics is very sketchy. Musical artifacts provide some of the most robust evidence of our ancestorsâ sonic world.
The oldest known wind instruments are flutes made from bird bones and ivory, found in a cave in Geissenklösterle, Germany, about 36,000 years old, from the Upper Paleolithic era. 16 The best preserved is made from a hollow vultureâs wing bone. It is about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long with a V-shaped notch at one end and five fingering holes.
How can archaeologists be confident that the bones were musical instruments? Holes could be made accidentally; unbelievably, swallowing and regurgitation by hyenas can create round holes in bones. 17 But the Geissenklösterle bones have signs of deliberate and careful working, implying that the holes were precisely and purposefully placed. A replica was made and played. Treating the vultureâs wing bone like a flute and blowing over the edge at one end produces a note. Pretending the bone is like a small trumpet and blowing a raspberry down the tube is also effective. 18
Besides flutes, there is evidence of 30,000-year-old percussion and scraping instruments, along with the prehistoric use of ringing rocks and cave acoustics. A xylophone made from stone might seem an implausible musical instrument, more likely to produce a disappointing clunk than a resonating bong, but certain stones can generate notes. Examples are found around the world: from the tall slender rows of musical pillars in the Vittala Temple in Hampi, India, which ring like bells, to the large rock gongs in the Serengeti, Africa, made from boulders and covered in percussive marks, which make metallic clangs.
Nicole Boivin, from the University of Oxford, has studied the rocky outcrops at Kupgal Hill, southern India. These formations contain boulders of dolerite that create loud ringing tones when hit with granite stones. But did ancient people ever play the rocks? The best evidence is the Neolithic rock art alongside the percussion marks, showing that the site was used for many thousands of years. 19 In a cave at Fieux à Miers in the south of France, there is a large, 2-meter-high (about 7-foot) stalagmite that rings like a gong. Fractures from when it was struck have been dated to 20,000 years ago. 20 Dating percussion marks on rock gongs can be difficult, but in this case the new layers of calcite over the damage give an inkling of the age. Whatâs more, this cave was only recently unsealed, and other prehistoric artifacts found inside indicate when it was occupied.
When I was younger I used to go caving, and I was strictly warned to be very careful of delicate stalactites and stalagmites. Earlier, in the mid-twentieth century, attitudes were more relaxed, allowing an act of âvandalismâ to produce the most fantastical stone instrument.
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