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Architecture and sound: an acoustic analysis of megalithic monuments in prehistoric Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Aaron Watson
Affiliation:
Watson, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AA, England, A.J.Watson@reading.ac.uk
David Keating
Affiliation:
Department of Cybernetics, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AY, England, D.A.Keating@reading.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Prehistoric monuments in Britain are often dominant features in the landscape, and archaeological theory has tended to consider the visual and spatial influences of their architecture upon peoples' movement and perception. The articulation of sound within these structures has not been widely discussed, despite evidence which suggests that many monuments provided settings for gatherings of people. This possibility was explored at two contrasting sites in Scotland, a recumbent stone circle and a passage-grave, revealing that the elemental acoustic properties inherent in each may have literally orchestrated encounters with the stones.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 1999

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