Ancient acoustics

Some ancient civilizations may have had an ear — not just an eye — for architecture. Two recent studies suggest early builders intentionally added unusual, and often psychedelic, sound effects to their structures.

Some of the most striking examples are at the 1,100-year-old Maya Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza, Mexico, according to David Lubman, who will present findings at the upcoming Fourth Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan in Hawaii.

Lubman studied the court's acoustic elements, including two "whispering galleries" that allow visitors to hear whispers from 460 feet away. The feature could have once allowed a king or priest to address crowds of up to 3,000 outside without a microphone, Lubman explained.

From Discovery News. The article also cites Chris Scarre, editor of Archaeoacoustics; a review by Scarre of a study suggesting that the locations of Palaeolithic cave paintings coincide with zones of resonance in those caves may be found here.

Posted by David on December 3, 2006 9:01 PM