Hearing rock art landscapes

A survey of the acoustical perception in the Sierra de San Serván area in Extremadura (Spain)

Bibliographic Data

ID12911641
AuthorsTommaso Mattioli (0000-0001-8665-1645, Universitat de Barcelona), M Diaz-Andreu (0000-0003-1043-2336, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume10
Issue1
Pages81-96
Publication date2017-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueTime and Mind (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-696X • E-ISSN: 1751-6978
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1751696x.2016.1267919
OpenAlexW2591193171
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited19

This article focuses on the augmented audibility of distant sounds that is experienced in some rock art sites. We propose a method developed in acoustical physics to measure this acoustic phenomenon, the Transmission Loss (TL) analysis. We have assessed the validity of the method in our study area, the Sierra de San Serván in the region of Extremadura (Spain), an area where from the hundreds of shelters only sixty five were decorated with Schematic art during prehistory. The analysis undertaken in it has provided unequivocal data that indicate that augmented audibility of distant sounds seemed to be a factor considered by the prehistoric artists for the selection of rock art shelters to paint in. This is especially made clear when a comparison between the results obtained in shelters with rock art and others in the same area without it is made. From all the sites one stands out, that of Las Palomas 2, with the best results. This site is also special for other features that no other site in the area has in terms of difficult access and high visibility

Archaeology · Geography · Perception · Prehistory · Rock art · Schematic · Visibility · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Engineering · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Psychology

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