Focused on the Archaeology of Sound, the third international multi-disciplinary conference on Archaeoacoustics will be held in Tomar, Portugal in October 2017.
Rock art from Zimbabwe, prehistoric temples on Malta, caves in Scotland and Southern France, menhirs in East India, Mayan pyramids, songlines of First Nations Australians and Scandinavian Forest Trance are all expected to be represented at the conference, which has drawn speakers from more than 22 countries. The subject is the study of sound as it relates to the ancient world. Ritual and ceremonial use, architectural development, as well as unintentional effect of certain sound on brain activity will be explored. Prior attendees are convinced that we might be able to reclaim ancient knowledge for productive use today.
“The most significant factor in this emerging field is its multi-disciplinary aspect,” explains organizer Linda Eneix, “a phenomenon that may at first seem like pseudo-science takes on new meaning when it is applied to ancient social structure and lifestyle.”
As a highlight, Prof. Iegor Reznikoff will be performing early Christian chant in the rotunda of the convent of the Knights Templar. An experiential exhibition element will be brought via reproductions of ancient instruments along with artist impressions. Registration for the three-day event is also open to non-presenting observers. Archaeoacoustics III is organized by The OTS Foundation, The Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Portugal, The Instituto Terra e Memória (ITM) and The Geosciences Centre of Coimbra University, and in association with ANIMUSIC.
The OTS Foundation is a United States of America not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational foundation dedicated to research and public outreach concerning the Neolithic (New Stone Age) in Europe and the Mediterranean. Website: www.OTSF.org . OTSF is associated with the ICOMOS National Committee on Interpretation and Presentation of Heritage Sites, European Association for Heritage Interpretation e.V., and the Archaeological Institute of America. The foundation is responsible for the operation of educational programming in Malta for Road Scholar’s Adventures in Lifelong Learning.