Ancient acoustics: Epidauros

Greeks exploited acoustic physics to hear plays from the back row, a new research published in the magazine Nature, has shown.

This conclusion was reached after examining the ancient Greek theatre of Epidaurus. . .

Its acoustics are extraordinary. According to Nico Declercq and Cindy Dekeyser of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, a performer standing on the open-air stage could be heard in the back rows almost 60 metres away.

Both claimed that the key to it lies in the arrangement of the stepped rows of seats. They calculate that this structure is perfectly shaped to act as an acoustic filter, suppressing low-frequency sound - the major component of background noise - while passing on the high frequencies of performers' voices1.

From DailyIndia. The Nature article is here, but is available only to subscribers.

Posted by David on April 1, 2007 9:23 PM