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Sculptors Cave

Cave / Rock Shelter

News

Sounds of the Bronze Age to be studied


"A researcher at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) hopes to gain an understanding of sounds heard thousands of years ago.

Michelle Walker's investigation will involve a cave in Moray where human remains from the Late Bronze Age were previously found by archaeologists.

It is believed prehistoric people buried their dead in the cave in rituals involving beating a drum.

Ms Walker has proposed beating a drum in the same location.
The UHI graduate believes the acoustics of Sculptors Cave where the bodies were laid could have affected mourners' mood....... "

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-35316369
thelonious Posted by thelonious
14th January 2016ce

Comments (4)



There's doubt about the LBA attribution and no evidence of any drums . Maybe there was a lot of shouting , ululating , singing , whistling or just silence ,that's always a problem for archaeoacoustics if there's no sound there's not much to talk about and no possibility of entrainment .
tiompan Posted by tiompan
14th January 2016ce
I like the sound of the sea, especially at night. I think that's all I would need to keep me happy had this been my place of rest. thelonious Posted by thelonious
15th January 2016ce

Evidence points to quite a bit of violence being involved in some of the "burials " here , e.g. decapitation . Maybe the sound would be that of drumroll -crunch /squelch then one head landing then two ?handed clapping .
tiompan Posted by tiompan
15th January 2016ce
Mind you, if you take your guitar and I take my trumpet we could give the locals something to think about :-) drewbhoy Posted by drewbhoy
19th January 2016ce
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