Sonic Artefacts of Teotihuacan, Mexico (Horns, Trumpets and Pipes)

Arnd Adje Both

doi:10.3390/acoustics3030034

Abstract

This paper presents the acoustic study of a sample of sonic artefacts, in particular a selection of wind instruments (horns, trumpets and pipes), from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Teotihuacan, Mexico, based on a thorough examination of the accessible and playable archaeological finds and the construction and subsequent test of a series of experimental models. Combined with the archaeological and iconographical information, the study helps to deduce information with regard to the urban settings in which these instruments might have been used. It also reveals some basic acoustic components of the music once performed in Teotihuacan.

Highlights

The two largest groups of Teotihuacan aerophones are the lip reed instruments, which consist of four instrument types, and the duct flutes, which consist of two types
While the exploration of the acoustics of an ancient culture is a difficult task, as a range of different parameters is to be taken into account, it is by no means impossible
For Teotihuacan, the fragmented condition of most of the sonic artefacts often require manufacturing accurate reconstructions in order to obtain a clear picture of the original acoustic effects that once formed part of the musical and non-musical soundscape of the site

Summary

Introduction

Citation: Both, A.A. Sonic Artefacts of Teotihuacan, Mexico (Horns, Trumpets and Pipes). Acoustics 2021, 3, 507–544. https://doi.org/10.3390/acoustics3030034Academic Editor: Francesco AlettaReceived: 16 June 2021Accepted: 14 July 2021Published: 3 August 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Objectives

Methods

Results