The Acoustics of Aggregation Sites: Listening to the Rock Art Landscape of Cuevas de la Araña (Spain)

Since the 1980s, research into aggregation sites has focused on the material dimension of the archaeological record and has thus led to an incomplete view of the prehistoric reality. Early communities chose sites for many reasons. In this article, we explore the possibility that something as immater...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of field archaeology 2023-02, Vol.48 (2), p.130-143
Main Authors: Santos da Rosa, Neemias, Morales, Lidia Álvarez, Briz, Ximo Martorell, Macías, Laura Fernández, Díaz-Andreu, Margarita
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
archaeoacoustics
Iberian Peninsula
Levantine rock art
Mesolithic
Neolithic
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Summary:Since the 1980s, research into aggregation sites has focused on the material dimension of the archaeological record and has thus led to an incomplete view of the prehistoric reality. Early communities chose sites for many reasons. In this article, we explore the possibility that something as immaterial in nature as the acoustics of the sites may have influenced the selective choices made by the prehistoric peoples who created and used rock art in these meeting places. Employing the Impulse Response (IR) methodology, we systematically analyze the acoustic properties of Cuevas de la Araña, an aggregation site in eastern Spain with Levantine rock art, and 16 satellite sites in its surroundings. The results indicate that the acoustics of La Araña could have been important for creating affective engagement through musical performances carried out during the production and use of rock art, as well as for the choice of the site as a meeting place for Levantine populations.
ISSN:0093-4690
2042-4582
DOI:10.1080/00934690.2022.2134964