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Music and art mixed in the Stone Age

neolithic cave painting

Cave paintings such as this one from Lascaux, may have been deliberately placed at acoustically resonant locations (Source: Professor Saxx)

The most popular musical events of the Stone Age might have taken place in torch-lit caves next to walls covered in art, according to new archaeological research in France.

The 12,000-year-old cave paintings appear to be placed at acoustically resonant locations, and researchers now theorise they may have been inspired by musical performances held in caves.

Professor Iegor Reznikoff of the University of Paris presented his findings at Acoustics08, a meeting jointly organised by the Acoustical Society of America, the European Acoustics Association and the Societe Francaise d'Acoustique.

Reznikoff says he stumbled upon the Stone Age art and music connection.

"I am a specialist of the resonance of buildings and spaces, particularly of the resonance of Romanesque churches," Reznikoff says.

"The first time I happened to be in a prehistoric cave, I tried the resonance in various parts of the cave, and quickly the question arose: Is there a relation between resonance and locations of the paintings?"

Testing: 1, 2, 3

To test his question, Reznikoff sang and hummed within various parts of well-known French caves containing prehistoric art. These included Niaux and Le Portel in Ariége, as well as Arcy-sur-Cure in Burgundy.

He drew three key conclusions from the "sound checks."

First, most pictures were located in, or very near to, resonant locations. Second, the density of the pictures in these areas is proportional to the intensity of that spot's resonance. Finally, resonant areas where painting would be difficult, such as narrow passageways, appear to have been marked with red lines.

The latter finding suggests cave dwellers first scoped out caves for their musicality before any painting commenced.

His findings could help explain why bone flutes have been found near some caves containing the Stone Age art.

"The [prehistoric] tribes could make sounds with stones, pieces of wood, different types of drums and so on," Reznikoff says.

Ritual performances

"Of course the Palaeolithic tribes did sing, as do all cultural groups from other regions," he says. "That they did so in the caves is shown by my studies. The ritual purpose appears very convincing."

David Lubman of the Acoustical Society of America, and one of the world's leading acoustical experts, says that when he first heard about Reznikoff's theories, he could "imagine picturesque scenes of cave persons dancing, singing and chanting to some kind of rhythmic music while the torch lights flickered to show the cave paintings."

Lubman says he hopes future studies will support Reznikoff's theories with scientific measurements.

It's possible that all of today's music could have resulted from an ingrained human memory of the acoustical properties of caves, adds Lubman.

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, art-history, music, archaeology