Experimental Sound Archaeology
These sound examples illustrate what it may have sounded like inside Stonehenge in prehistory, perhaps 5000 years ago.
Dry Clapping
This is the anechoic sound of someone clapping. This dry clapping sound has the acoustic of Stonehenge added in later examples to illustrate the sonic architecture of the stones. Clapping is used as it is a short impulse which finishes quickly and allows us to hear the echoes and reverberation that follow.
Either side of the Sarsen circle (IIIb)
This illustrates someone clapping while standing on the right hand side of the sarsen ring of Stonehenge IIIb (with a Sarsen stone ring but no bluestone ring), while the listener stands on the other side of the circle. Both are positioned at the inner edge of the circle. These soundfiles are generated using Odeon acoustic modeling software.
Either side of the Sarsen circle (IIIc)
This is the same as the last example but at Stonehenge IIIc, with a bluestone circle added to the Sarsen circle. Again someone claps on the right and listens on the left. Note that adding the bluestones diffuses the echoes, meaning there is more of a reverberant effect, rather than clear echoes. Adding the bluestone circle would have noticeably altered the acoustic in the space.
Centre to bluestone ring (IIIb)
In this example clapping position is the centre of the circle, listening position is just inside where the bluestone circle would be, although this is modelled on Stonehenge IIIb, with no bluestone circle.
Centre to bluestone ring (IIIc)
This example is from Stonehenge IIIc and again features clapping (source) at centre, listening (receiver) just inside the bluestone circle.
Centre to entrance (IIIb)
Stonehenge IIIb this time, source at centre, receiver just inside the entrance to the Sarsen stone circle.
Centre to entrance (IIIb)
Stonehenge IIIc, source at centre, receiver just inside the entrance to the Sarsen stone circle.
Sound at centre (IIIb)
Stonehenge IIIb source centre, listener centre. This file illustrates what it would sound like if you clapped at the centre of the circle. Note the clear single echo as the sound returns to you from all directions reflected from the Sarsen stone ring.
Impulse Response (IIIc)
This is the impulse response of the space, this is what the reverberation tail, (echoes and reflections) in the space, sounds like.
47Hz bass tone
This is what 47Hz sounds like. This is the bass frequency we found was generated, when we played percussive sounds in time to the echoes and resonant frequency at the Maryhill Monument Stonehenge replica. You will need good loudspeakers, a sub woofer or decent headphones to hear this properly.
Anechoic replica TRB drums
This an anechoic, dry recording of drums playing in time to the echoes and resonance in the space. The drum sounds are digital samples created by recording replicas of prehistoric drums. These replicas were made by archaeologist Dr. Simon Wyatt, based on TRB drums. The originals were found in Germany by archaeologists, but are of about the right period, and so could have been present.
Replica TRB drums with Stonehenge echoes/reverberation
This is the same recording of drums playing in time to the echoes in the space, but with the acoustic of Stonehenge added. It is how one may have heard sound if standing in front of the gap between two sarsen stones.
Replica TRB drums with Stonehenge echoes/reverberation and simulated bass resonance
This is sound example of drums playing in time to echoes in the space, with the modelled reverberation from Stonehenge added. You will hear a 47Hz low hum or ‘booming tone’ added, which fades in. Small computer speakers may not allow you to hear this. It is how one may have heard sound if standing in front of one of the sarsen stones while a group of people played drums in the space.
Drums speeding up, with Stonehenge echoes added
This example shows how when percussionists speed up they go in and out of time with the echoes that can be heard at Stonehenge. It is likely music in the space would entrain to these echoes.
Wilsford flute replica
This is the sound of a reconstruction of the Wilsford flute found near Stonehenge. The flute dates from about the same period as Stonehenge, and was reconstructed by archaeologist Dr. Simon Wyatt. It is played dry, in an open field a few hundred metres away from Stonehenge. It is then played ‘wet’, with the acoustic of Stonehenge added, illustrating what it would have sounded like of played in Stonehenge.
5 minutes of Stonehenge sound
This bit does not attempt to be particularly scientific. A number of people have asked for a longer example of drum rhythms ‘in time’ with the echo in the space, to try to meditate to it, or ‘trance out’. So here it is, 5 minutes worth. Try listening to this with headphones. If you want to, make yourself comfortable, blindfold your eyes so you are not tempted to open them, and concentrate or focus on the feeling of your breathing, on how it feels for the breath to come in and out of your body.
36 comments
Comments feed for this article
May 11, 2010 at 12:09 am
Mario Alcala
Is there any site that maybe has these recordings, but at an extended time frame? I am learning to meditate and this itty-bitty sample from the net and the TV program started to initiate a meditative state within me, but it is not long enough. The drums are DEFINITELY a way to alter the human mind. My God, My God!!! He created us…this is proof that when God created us, He didn’t stop at flesh and bone…no no…we also are susceptible to brainwaves.
How? Why? God is the only one that has the answers. Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God!!
July 12, 2010 at 10:51 pm
ruperttill
Okay, I have put a 5 minute clip of the drumming online.
August 9, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Peg
Oh, my! That’s the best five minutes of my day! Which is why I stretch it out to twenty. Not more, though, as I get too sleepy. Thank you so much for this!
March 18, 2014 at 7:44 pm
Lois Phemister
This whole discovery is wonderful. The stones do sound different. Now the 5 minute clip needs to be actually played by people and not be a short clip repeated for 5 minutes. It would be a different thing entirely and more meditation and less trance.
February 13, 2011 at 8:37 pm
Yvonne
Tried to download the 5 min clip but it wouldn’t come up. Any suggestions?
August 18, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Katt
This is amazingly relaxing! It would be perfect to meditate to. Is there any way I could get this clip so I could put it on my iPod for a portable meditation?
August 20, 2010 at 1:14 pm
ruperttill
Go to https://soundsofstonehenge.wordpress.com/sound-examples/5-minutes-of-stonehenge-rhythms/
and then ctrl click (Mac) or right click (PC) on the link and select ‘download file as’
and you should be able to download it.
cheers
Rupert
August 20, 2010 at 3:14 am
Amy
how do i buy a recording of this drumming?
August 20, 2010 at 1:18 pm
ruperttill
See the answer to the comment above!
Rupert
August 24, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Peg
I noticed that at the 3 minute mark a certain amount of reverb drops off.
July 22, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Maureen Berlin
Very pleased, for many reasons, to be able to re-capture the sounds heard when I attended the audio-visually enhanced lecture given by Rupert at the Yorkshire Archaeological Society (YAS) Prehistory Research Section (PRS) June, 2011. Not only because of my concern with the past, love of rock and rhythmic music, my particular interest in ancient ritual but also because of my personal feelings.
I am preparing a report to be published (hopefully), in the annual PRS Bulletin next December and feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to chat with you, Rupert. Cheers!
Maureen
July 27, 2011 at 5:42 am
Peter Bishop
Have you experimented with the sounds of the Auckland or Taos Hums?
Here’s the audio files;
Taos Hum
[audio src="http://www.eskimo.com/~bilb/freenrg/taos.wav" /]
Auckland Hum
[audio src="http://www.speechresearch.co.nz/meur.mp3" /]
August 19, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Joe
It’s especially great to play the flute and drums at the same time. Awesome stuff.
September 4, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Fernanda Bocoli
I`ve just saw the documentary in History Chanel. It is amazing to find it out here in the internet. Thanks a lot Rupert! (Fernanda from Brazil)
September 4, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Fernanda Bocoli
BTW, could you also make the Wilsford flute replica sound track available?
Thanks again.
September 8, 2011 at 12:48 pm
nat
I love this! It’s so exciting!
I like that each soundclip can all be played seperately/together…I had a bit of flute with my five minute drumming! Acoustic history! π
Acoustics are so often overlooked undervalued these days..I have a brilliantly clever self taught speaker making acoustic nut boyfriend (makes spoken word line array speakers in his shed…speech can be heard perfectly from so far away its spooky….Acoustics are mindblowing!
….wondering if i can recreate henge acoustics in my garden!! π
Great work! I wonder what other acoustic history is out there?
September 8, 2011 at 4:15 pm
nat
Could a woodhenge also work acoustically?
March 17, 2012 at 1:37 am
Shoshana
Hello,
Could I please have more infomation about the Wilsford flute? I am working with a flute maker to make the flute. Was it transverse?
Thanks!
October 5, 2012 at 10:52 am
ruperttill
It was end blown as far as we know. That means to others reading this it was pointed away from the body and blown at the end, rather than being held sideways and blown across. Simon Wyatt from Bristol is the best person to ask about it. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/simon-wyatt/22/a8b/174
March 19, 2012 at 1:02 am
Shoshana
Thank you for doing so much work on this! You have made Stonehenge sing again!
September 14, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Florian Van Damme
Hi, I’m a musician from The Netherlands and I was very intrigued by your work. I was wondering, is there a way for me to get my hands on the actual impulse response? Like an audio file i can load into a convolution reverb plugin? I’d love to experiment and try out some stuff! π Thanks! Florian
October 5, 2012 at 10:40 am
ruperttill
There is an impulse response under sound examples
January 12, 2013 at 1:41 pm
Stuart
I’m interested in this too, but how do I download the Impulse Response please?
February 5, 2013 at 2:49 pm
Erasmus
Dr Till,
thank you good doctor for this brilliant work. Astonishing, informative and incredibly inspiring. Would it be possible to make the impulse-response available as a .flac or perhaps mp3 dwl link so as not to get a tainted recording of the already existing flash file? Producing meditation music, hence very interested in experimenting before engaging in the real thing.
Hari Om
April 29, 2013 at 4:00 pm
http://18flr.com
I almost never drop comments, but i did some
searching and wound up here Sound Examples | Sounds
of Stonehenge. And I actually do have 2 questions for you
if you don’t mind. Is it only me or does it appear like some of the comments come across as if they are left by brain dead visitors? π And, if you are posting at other online sites, I’d like to keep up
with everything new you have to post. Could you make a list of the
complete urls of all your shared sites like your Facebook page, twitter
feed, or linkedin profile?
August 28, 2014 at 10:08 am
ruperttill
Go to the links page for more relevant sites. You might also be interested in:
AMBPnetwork.wordpress.com
Songsofthecaves.wordpress.com
MusicArchaeologyRecordings.wordpress.com
August 28, 2014 at 12:22 pm
Peg
Nice way to introduce yourself to a new group.
May 4, 2014 at 9:18 am
Juniper
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your website.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often.
Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
Outstanding work!
June 25, 2014 at 9:54 pm
Joyce Mullins
Great work enjoyed it thank you for your work
July 25, 2014 at 12:02 am
JERRY ECKERT
I saw your work on a History Channel broadcast in the US recently. I believe that you are on to important concepts with your work. Please tell me if/how I might help promote or support your work.
August 28, 2014 at 9:58 pm
21pamperedpets
It’s been a little over 4 years since I first contacted you through your site about downloading the clip. I still have it. I still love it. I listen to it when I’m having trouble falling asleep and it just puts me in tune with myself, somehow. Your work is wonderful and affects not just the scientific and music communities but individuals as well. Thanks, again! ~Katt
March 13, 2015 at 10:36 am
Time I got started… Sound maps – what are they? | Lugholes
[…] and we are seeing an unprecedented interest in trying to recreate soundscapes of the past. Like this: we can ‘listen’ to Stonehenge! Marvellous resources like Ian Rawes’ London Sound […]
November 2, 2015 at 4:12 pm
szyba kominkowa piotrkow trybunalski
Thanks , I have just been looking for info about this topic for a while and yours is the greatest I’ve came upon till now.
But, what about the bottom line? Are you sure concerning
the supply?
January 7, 2017 at 8:52 pm
New Stonehenge Theory May Shed Light on Arthurian Legend
[…] revealed in the BBC report, Dr Rupert Till of the University of Huddersfield has ‘created a virtual sound tour of Stonehenge as it would have sounded with all the stones in place’ with ‘the help of […]
May 3, 2018 at 5:07 pm
Carolyn
you are a wizard! you dont mind if some of that drumming gets incorporated into doctoraudioadventures.com do you? heading to gobekli tepi in season finale
March 21, 2019 at 1:58 pm
ruperttill
Carolyn, I do hop you used the drumming sounds, if so can you tell me where I might hear this? Do you have a link?