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explore-the-earth: Jerusalem, Israel
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travelingcolors: Details of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem |...
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travelingcolors: Ancient Ruins of Palmyra | Syria, (by © Libyan...
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travelingcolors: Palmyra Site | Syria (by Eric Lafforgue)
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travelingcolors: Bel Temple in Palmyra | Syria (by Eric...
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-cityoflove: Bosra, Syria via friend_faraway ~
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abbyjean: The series broken houses by Ofra Lapid is based on...
The series broken houses by Ofra Lapid is based on photographs of destroyed and neglected houses. However, these buildings were recreated as small, precise scale models and again photographed in the studio: a mock-ups of destruction. (via anArchitecture)
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Stonehenge Inspired By Sound Illusion, Archaeologist Suggests
Stonehenge Inspired By Sound Illusion, Archaeologist Suggests :
“Theories about the purpose of Stonehenge range from a secular calendar to a place of spiritual worship. Now, an archaeologist suggests that the Stonehenge monument in southern England may have been an attempt to mimic a sound-based illusion.
If two pipers were to play in a field, observers walking around the musicians would hear a strange effect, said Steven Waller, a doctoral researcher at Rock Art Acoustics USA, who specializes in the sound properties of ancient sites, or archaeoacoustics. At certain points, the sound waves produced by each player would cancel each other out, creating spots where the sound is dampened.
It’s this pattern of quiet spots that may have inspired Stonehenge, Waller told an audience Thursday (Feb. 16) in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The theory is highly speculative, but modern-day experiments do reveal that the layout of the Stonehenge ruins and other rock circles mimics the piper illusion, with stones instead of competing sound waves blocking out sounds made in the center of the circle.
In support of the theory, Waller pointed to myths linking Stonehenge with music, such as the traditional nickname for stone circles in Great Britain: “piper stones.” One legend holds that Stonehenge was created when two magic pipers led maidens into the field to dance and then turned them to stone.
Waller experimented by having blindfolded participants walk into a field as two pipers played. He asked the volunteers to tell him whenever they thought a barrier existed between them and the sound. There were no barriers in the field, but acoustic “dead spots” created by sound-wave interference certainly gave the volunteers the impression that there were.
“They drew structures, archways and openings that are very similar to Stonehenge,” Waller said.
Waller believes the people who built Stonehenge more than 5,000 years ago may have heard this sound-canceling illusion during ceremonies with musicians and thought it mystical, spurring the creation of the stone circle.
Though the theory is unlikely to settle the mystery of Stonehenge, Waller said he hopes to highlight the importance of considering sound in archaeology. Rock art sites are often in areas where cave acoustics are particularly prone to echoes, he said, suggesting that ancient people found meaning in sound.
“Nobody has been paying attention to sound,” Waller said. “We’ve been destroying sound. In some of the French [rock art] caves, they’ve widened the tunnels to build little train tracks to take the tourists back – thereby ruining the acoustics that could have been the whole motivation in the first place.”
(Source: The Huffington Post)
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tammuz: Molded plague used by ancient Mesopotamians for...
Molded plague used by ancient Mesopotamians for protection from evil spirits. These plagues used to be buried beneath the door ways to prevent evil spirits from entering houses. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.
Photo by Babylon Chronicle
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I Am An Archaeologist: 1. The Indiana Jones stereotype....
I Am An Archaeologist:
1. The Indiana Jones stereotype. Adveturous life, amazing treasures, etc.
2. Howard Carter. Your parents always hope you’ll discover the next big find of the century.
3. Benjamin Gates; stealing for a good cause (ie: preserving a document or treasure). This is a stereotype too which, in certain countries, can lead to people being sent to jail because they were “suspected” of doing stuff like that. Which is, of course, illegal.
4. Mwahahah, Ammit is not happy with you robbing people’s tombs!
5. What we all wish we would do in a couple of years…
6. The truth: archaeologists are rarely sent abroad on amazing missions. Most of the time, they’re all comfy and cultured, studying and teaching at all the most prestigious universities of the world.
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historical-nonfiction: This is the original design for Mount...
This is the original design for Mount Rushmore. The presidents were to be depicted down to the waist, but as with many beautiful but useless enterprises, insufficient funding prevented it.
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ec-centricity: Map Print Tee By Tee And Cake @ Topshop
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openaccessarchaeology: FOLD&R Italy Series 246 Out -...
FOLD&R Italy Series 246 Out - Saggio di scavo nell’area settentrionale delle Terme di Diocleziano a Roma. Free to Access (Gratuito di accesso)
http://www.fastionline.org/folderindex.php?view=serieshome&ste_cd=FOLDER-it
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anthropologica: Keith H. Basso & Henry A. Selby,...
Keith H. Basso & Henry A. Selby, editores
Meaning in Anthropology
Textos de Basso, Selby, Roy G. D’Andrade, Fadwa El Guindi, Susan Ervin-Tripp, Clifford Geertz, Harold W. Scheffler, David M. Schneider, Michael Silverstein
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travelingcolors: Highland | Scotland (via explore-the-earth)
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nationalgeographicdaily: Ancient Ruins, PortugalPhoto: Peter...
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allmesopotamia: This tablet includes 25 recipes for stews, 21...
This tablet includes 25 recipes for stews, 21 are meat stews and 4 are vegetable stews. The recipes list the ingredients and the order in which they should be added, but does not give measures or cooking time - they were clearly meant only for experienced chefs.
From the Old Babylonian Period, 1750 BCE
Read More At Yale’s Page Here: http://www.library.yale.edu/neareast/exhibitions/cuisine.html
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Wow, all these new followers make me happy! I am glad to have others who love Archaeology!
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myancientworld: Capua (southern Italy), around 330-300...
Capua (southern Italy), around 330-300 BCE.
Two girls playing ‘knucklebones’.
This game (similar to jacks) was popular amongst children and young women in ancient Greece- the players would throw the knucklebones into the air, and then try to catch as many as they could on the back of their hands. The knucklebones were made from the anklebones of sheep or goats.
British Museum, London
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This photo comes from Saleh Mohammed’s photostream on...
This photo comes from Saleh Mohammed’s photostream on flicker.
A set of photos concentrating around Bedouin life.
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