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An archaeoacoustic study of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum on Malta

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Rupert Till
Rupert Till*
Affiliation:
School of Music, Humanities and Media, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK (Email: r.till@hud.ac.uk)
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Abstract

The remarkable subterranean architecture of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum on Malta has generated many claims about its dramatic acoustic effects, but previous studies have lacked rigour. A systematic, methodical approach has now been applied to measure the acoustic properties of the site, and to test earlier assertions. The results confirm some, but not all, prior observations, and demonstrate how a sound-based approach can contribute to an understanding of the archaeological context. It is argued that for the people who created the Hypogeum, the acoustics must have had particular significance and ritual power.

Keywords

MaltaHypogeumarchaeoacousticsacousticsresonancereverberation
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 91 , Issue 355 , February 2017 , pp. 74 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017 

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