Teotihuacan Virtual Sound Map: Exploring the Sonic Sphere of the City of the Gods, Mexico

ended

The pre-Columbian site of Teotihuacan in the highlands of central Mexico has captured the public imagination for centuries. For the Aztecs, it was the city of the gods and birthplace of humankind. Archaeological excavations of the UNESCO World Heritage site revealed that the unearthed relics are the cultural remains of a powerful society, dominating the period of Classic Mesoamerica during the first half of the first millennium CE. However, many aspects of this culture are still not well understood, including the role that sound and music played in its urban environment. With the aid of new technologies in geo-referenced sound mapping and multimedia applications, the ER will recreate and play the musical instruments of Teotihuacan, test their sounds both under laboratorial conditions and on-site in different architectural settings, and create a virtual sound-map of the city on the basis of the results. This research will contribute to a better understanding of the site and the sonic interaction with it of its inhabitants and, as will significantly develop the global field of archaeoacoustical research. The Teotihuacan Virtual Sound Map will create a model for exhibiting sound in the actual environment of ancient sites, which can also be applied to other settings. Through this project the ER will develop skills in field and studio/anechoic chamber recording, acoustic analysis, architectural and environmental acoustics, multimedia applications and virtual exhibition making. The ER will conduct field work in 5 distinct urban settings of Teotihuacan with 10 recording positions, using 15 replicas of Teotihuacan musical instruments; create an app with the virtual sound map of the site; create a website with the interactive sound map; create a print version of the map in form of a leaflet; give 2 workshops at the host organization, lecture at 2 international conferences and 2 national meetings; organize 1 international conference; and publish 2 research.