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You are here: University of Huddersfield : Academic Schools : Music, Humanities and Media : Music & Music Technology : Researchers: Rupert Till
(Press Release)
During a recent conference held at Bristol University, Dr Rupert Till, an expert in Music Technology and Acoustics at the University of Huddersfield spoke to academics, musicians and archaeologists about his pioneering research to discover what kinds of social activities or rituals took place at the ancient site.
Using cutting-edge Acoustic technology, Dr Till has been decoding the secrets of the stones to expose aspects of Neolithic culture which had previously only been guessed at. By looking at the acoustics of the site, Dr Till found that certain sounds would have been more easily produced, therefore acoustically encouraged, giving us an insight into what kind of activities would have taken place.
Dr Till explains: “There are two main theories about what Stonehenge was used for – one is that it was a healing space, the other that it was a place of the dead, both implying ritual activity, but very little is actually known about the way people sang, danced or performed rituals there because these things left no trace in the archaeological record. However, our research shows that there are particular spots in the site that produce unusual particular acoustic effects, intimating that perhaps a priest or a shaman may have stood there, leading the ritual.
“There is also encouragement by the acoustics to play music at the rhythm of the space, and we’ve found that a percussive, repeating rhythm is implied from the stones, which would support the theory of it being a place of the dead – people may have chanted or danced to a repetitive trance rhythm, at a specific tempo that we have been able to identify. This kind of ritual may also have been for healing, so this acoustic study may tie the two main competing theories about Stonehenge together, to imply a place where people were possessed by the spirits of the dead, entranced by simple fast rhythmic music, in order to heal themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually or as a community.”
The obvious problem of studying the acoustics of a semi-collapsed site meant Dr Till and acoustics lecturer Dr. Bruno Fazenda travelled to Maryhill, Washington State, to a full-size concrete replica of Stonehenge. The full-scale model, designed as a World War I memorial, was built by American road builder Sam Hill. Although the model has not previously gained any attention from archaeologists studying the original site, for Dr Till’s purposes the model was ideal.
“We were able to get some interesting results when we visited the replica by using computer-based acoustic analysis software, a 3D soundfield microphone, a dodecahedronic speaker, and a huge bass speaker from a PA company,” explains Dr Till. “By comparing results from paper calculations, computer simulations based on digital models, and results from the concrete Stonehenge copy, we were able to come up with some of these theories about the uses of Stonehenge. We have also been able to reproduce the sound of someone speaking or clapping in Stonehenge 5000 years ago”
As the data from the research is still being analysed, the full implications of the results are yet to be realised. However, it is yet more evidence for theories of ritual and social activity that cannot be found from simply studying the stones that remain.
“Archaeologists have been able to gather evidence about the tools that were used and the way the stone was shaped, but everything is usually based on visual aspects of the site, and it’s important to look at other elements too. Stonehenge is unique now, but at the time there would not have been anything quite like it in Europe, and it had a very unusual sound. By simulating this sound we can hope to understand more about English culture from 5000 years ago, and perhaps better understand both our ancestors and our culture today.”
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Finally-sounding-out-the-secrets.4840100.jp
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/07/stonehenge-trance.html