What did Stonehenge sound like?

[Wicked Blue]

BBC
By Anna Muckerman
2nd June 2023

Through the doors of a university building, down a concrete hallway and inside a foam-covered room stands a shin-high replica of one of the most mysterious monuments ever built: Stonehenge.

These miniature standing stones aren't on public display, although they might help give the million annual visitors who come to the real site a better understanding of the imposing, lichen-covered stone structure built roughly 5,000 years ago. Instead, this scale model is at the centre of ongoing research into Stonehenge's acoustical properties, and what its sound might tell us about its purpose.

"We know that the acoustics of places influence how you use them, so understanding the sound of a prehistoric site is an important part of the archaeology," said Trevor Cox, professor and acoustics researcher at the University of Salford in Manchester.

...

Thanks to Cox's recent studies, however, we now know a fascinating detail about one of the world's most enigmatic sites: it once acted as a giant echo chamber, amplifying sounds made inside the circle to those standing within, but shielding noise from those standing outside the circle. This finding has led some to ponder whether the monument was actually constructed as a ritual site for a small and elite group.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230601-what-did-stonehenge-sound-like

[eShirl]

1. shin-high replica, you say?

[central scrutinizer]

2. Whispering gallery in US Capitol

The dome over the chamber is elliptical and reflected sounds are concentrated at the foci

[Judi Lynn]

3. Wonderful article. Hope to hear more about what they will be learning as they study this.

There's so very much to learn about this site, and it's going to get more and more interesting.

Thank you, Wicked Blue.