Psychology Meets Archaeology: Psychoarchaeoacoustics for Understanding Ancient Minds and Their Relationship to the Sacred

Frontiers in Psychology

Jose Valenzuela¹  Carles Escera²  Margarita Díaz-Andreu³ 

[1] Brainlab ‐ Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain;Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain;Brainlab ‐ Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain;Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain;Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain;Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute (IRSJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain;Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain;Department of History and Geography, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain;

关键词: archaeoacoustics;    spatial acoustics;    experimental psychology;    subjective evaluation;    auralization;    psychoarchaeoacoustics;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.550794

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

How important is the influence of spatial acoustics on our mental processes related to sound perception and cognition? There is a large body of research in fields encompassing architecture, musicology, and psychology that analyzes human response, both subjective and objective, to different soundscapes. But what if we want to understand how acoustic environments influenced the human experience of sound in sacred ritual practices in premodern societies? Archaeoacoustics is the research field that investigates sound in the past. One of its branches delves into how sound was used in specific landscapes and at sites with rock art, and why past societies endowed a special significance to places with specific acoustical properties. Taking advantage of the advances made in sound recording and reproduction technologies, researchers are now exploring how ancient social and sacred ceremonies and practices related to the acoustic properties of their sound environment. Here, we advocate for the emergence of a new and innovative discipline, experimental psychoarchaeoacoustics. We also review underlying methodological approaches and discuss the limitations, challenges, and future directions for this new field.

【 授权许可】

CC BY