Metallic Idiophones between 800 BC and 800 AD

Bells, bells, rattling plates, anklet and bracelets worn en mass made of metal with their different forms, sounds and occurrences have fascinated the music archaeologist Beate Maria Pomberger for several years. The literature often refers to their "apotropaic-protective" function, but an explanation is definitely missing. In this project metallic idiophones in the heart of Europe from 800 B.C. to 800 A.D. are explored. These are bells, jingles, rattling plates and a number of hoops carried on arms and legs, the sounds of which create acoustic fields and thus influence people`s sound environment as well as their listening habits. The objects come from cemeteries, settlements and places of worship in Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. What did they serve for in people`s daily lives and in the community? What metal alloys were they made of? Which textile residues can be found on their surface? In which frequency ranges do they sound, how high is their maximum sound level and how far can they be perceived acoustically? Do the idiophones worn on the body cause a wellness effect? Can a stress-reducing effect be proven? Archaeology, metallurgy, textile research, acoustics, experimental archaeology, music ethnology and applied psychology are united for the first time in this project, which involves eleven scientific collaborations and twenty-three museums and collections. For the first time, archaeologically found sound objects will not only be interpreted, dated, examined for their distribution and tones, but also the psychoacoustic parameters of their sounds and their effects on the psyche and health of humans will be examined! In the spirit of climate protection, the travels are made environmentally conscious by train!

No additional funding sources recorded.