Acoustics of the West Kennet Long Barrow, Avebury, Wiltshire. (2nd January 2016)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Acoustics of the West Kennet Long Barrow, Avebury, Wiltshire. (2nd January 2016)
- Main Title:
- Acoustics of the West Kennet Long Barrow, Avebury, Wiltshire
- Authors:
- Marshall, Steve
- Abstract:
- ABSTRACT: Continuing on from a 2011 preliminary study, this paper investigates further the acoustical properties of one of Wiltshire's best-known monuments, the West Kennet long barrow, in the Avebury complex. Its two pairs of transepted chambers resonate at frequencies that are musically a 'perfect fourth' apart – a ratio of 4:3. The frequency of the resonances is dictated by the size of the chambers, which in plan are also proportioned 4:3. Several other Cotswold-Severn tombs contain chambers with this 4:3 ratio. Furthermore, the central passage of West Kennet resonates at an extremely low frequency that can produce certain psychological effects; other Neolithic tombs are similarly-proportioned. It is possible that these effects were employed for some ritual purpose in West Kennet and other monuments.
- Is Part Of:
- Time & mind. Volume 9:Number 1(2016)
- Journal:
- Time & mind
- Issue:
- Volume 9:Number 1(2016)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 9, Issue 1 (2016)
- Year:
- 2016
- Volume:
- 9
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2016-0009-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 43
- Page End:
- 56
- Publication Date:
- 2016-01-02
- Subjects:
- Archaeoacoustics -- resonance -- infrasound -- entrainment -- ratio
Archaeology -- Periodicals
Cognition and culture -- Periodicals
930.101 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.bergpublishers.com/BergJournals/TimeMind/tabid/3253/Default.aspx ↗
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/berg/tmdj ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rtam20/current ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1080/1751696X.2016.1142292 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1751-696X
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 8851.955250
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 1631.xml