Acoustic elements of (pre)historic rock art landscapes at the Fourth Nile Cataract

Kleinitz, Cornelia

doi:10.31338/uw.9788323533344.pp.149-160

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They consist of naturally occurring rock formations that produce a ringing tone when struck, usually with another stone. Rock gongs have been reported throughout southern Africa and are also widespread in Nubia (Kleinitz 2007(Kleinitz , 2008(Kleinitz , 2010. Rock gongs seem to be virtually a global phenomenon, but Africa and northern Europe are particular foci (Lund 2009).…”

Section: Rock Gongs Lithophones and Stone Clappersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods and results in the reconstruction of music history in Africa and a case study of instrumental polyphony

Blench

2013

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The reconstruction of the prehistory of African musical instruments and musical structures has barely begun, despite the importance of music in African culture in the present. This paper reviews the sources of information for the prehistory and history of music in Sub-Saharan Africa with examples from direct finds, iconography and textual sources. Due to the richness of its material, and the fact only some of it is relevant to other parts of the continent, evidence from Egypt is generally not presented in detail. Regarding the Stone Age, if the claimed flute fragment from Haua Fteah (Libya) is accepted, it would be of considerable significance for claims about early cognitive capacities. If diverse sources of evidence can be combined with the rich ethnographic record, then it is possible to reconstruct large-scale patterns, both of the spread of instruments and the distribution of musical practices. A methodological example of how such data integration would work is given: a proposal for the reconstruction of polyphonic wind ensembles, a musical form characteristic of Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegambia to Mozambique. This has the particular interest of being identifiable in Saharan rock art. The evidence suggests that archaeologists may not be identifying musical instrument fragments in their excavations and the combination of ethnography and other sources allows us to explore a much broader range of culture history than is usually recognised.Downloaded by [University of Sunderland] at 00:12 27 December 2014 d'ethnographie et les autres sources permettent d'explorer une diversité de l'histoire de la culture beaucoup plus large que celle habituellement admise.

show abstract

Section: Rock Gongs Lithophones and Stone Clappersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods and results in the reconstruction of music history in Africa and a case study of instrumental polyphony

Blench

2013

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In sound-archaeological research to date, traceological methods or approaches have been applied to the instrument categories of bone aerophones and lithophones (e.g. Kleinitz 2010;Lawson & d'Errico 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prehistoric Pendants as Instigators of Sound and Body Movements: A Traceological Case Study from Northeast Europe, c. 8200 cal. bp

Rainio¹,

Gerasimov²,

Girya³

et al. 2021

CAJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the Late Mesolithic graves of Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov, northwest Russia, large numbers of Eurasian elk (Alces alces) incisors have been found. These teeth, for the most part fashioned into portable pendants, seem to have formed decorative sets for the garments or accessories of the deceased. This article examines both the technologies associated with these artefacts and their uses, as well as reflecting on the sensorial experiences generated by them. Osteological analysis of a sample of 100 specimens indicates that all types of incisors were used for making the pendants. Traceological analysis indicates that the teeth were modified by scraping, grooving, grinding and retouching. Traces of wear consist of general wear and distinctive pits or pecks on the perimeters of the crowns. These traces indicate that the pendants were worn before their deposition in the graves, in such a way that they were in contact with both soft and solid materials. This pattern of pits or pecks has until now been unreported in the traceological literature. In experiments, a similar pattern emerged when pendants of fresh elk incisors were hung in rows and bunches and struck against one another. These strokes created a rattling sound. Thus, the elk incisors of Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov appear to provide insight into previously unattainable sonic experiences and activities of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, as well as the early history of the instrument category of rattles.

show abstract

Acoustic elements of (pre)historic rock art landscapes at the Fourth Nile Cataract

Cited by 2 publications

References 13 publications

Methods and results in the reconstruction of music history in Africa and a case study of instrumental polyphony

Methods and results in the reconstruction of music history in Africa and a case study of instrumental polyphony

Prehistoric Pendants as Instigators of Sound and Body Movements: A Traceological Case Study from Northeast Europe, c. 8200 cal. bp

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About