Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland
In northern Finland, near the canyon lakes of Julma-Ölkky, Somerjärvi and Rotkojärvi, steep rock cliffs produce distinctive acoustic spaces. On these cliffs, prehistoric rock paintings (5200 to 1000 BC) as well as an ancient Sámi offering site (circa 1100 to present) can be found. Ethnographic sourc...
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ftunivhelsihelda:oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/328408 2024-01-07T09:45:27+01:00 Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland Rainio, Riitta Lahelma, Antti Äikäs, Tiina Lassfolk, Kai Okkonen, Jari Department of Philosophy, History and Art Studies Archaeology Musicology 2021-03-29T16:35:22Z 22 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10138/328408 eng eng SPRINGER NEW YORK LLC 10.1007/s10816-017-9343-1 Rainio , R , Lahelma , A , Äikäs , T , Lassfolk , K & Okkonen , J 2017 , ' Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland ' , Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory , vol. 25 , no. 2 , pp. 453-474 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-017-9343-1 ORCID: /0000-0002-6517-6109/work/92109396 ORCID: /0000-0003-0995-3900/work/92110428 ORCID: /0000-0003-3879-4195/work/92111148 85024488484 99740108-a149-497e-93c9-861c25b31327 http://hdl.handle.net/10138/328408 000432326400007 cc_by openAccess info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess 615 History and Archaeology Rock art Archaeoacoustics Rituals Northern Europe 6131 Theatre dance music other performing arts Sound archaeology Article acceptedVersion 2021 ftunivhelsihelda 2023-12-14T00:10:10Z In northern Finland, near the canyon lakes of Julma-Ölkky, Somerjärvi and Rotkojärvi, steep rock cliffs produce distinctive acoustic spaces. On these cliffs, prehistoric rock paintings (5200 to 1000 BC) as well as an ancient Sámi offering site (circa 1100 to present) can be found. Ethnographic sources describe that the Sámi used to sing and listen to echoes while making offerings there. This article presents the results of an archaeoacoustic research project that seeks to explore the role of sound in the development and use of these archaeological sites. The innovative set of methods includes multichannel impulse response recording, angle-of-arrival estimation of early reflections, spectrum analysis, digital image processing and 3D laser scanning. On the basis of the analyses, it is concluded that the cliffs that have been painted or held as sacred are efficient sound reflectors. They create discrete echoes and, accordingly, phantom sound sources. Especially at the Värikallio cliff near Lake Somerjärvi, the sound appears to emanate directly from the painted figures. These results, together with previously unnoticed drumming figures in the Värikallio painting, provide a clue to the significance of the sound rituals at these sacred sites. Peer reviewed Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Finland HELDA – University of Helsinki Open Repository Ölkky ENVELOPE(29.283,29.283,65.533,65.533) Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 25 2 453 474 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
HELDA – University of Helsinki Open Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivhelsihelda |
language |
English |
topic |
615 History and Archaeology Rock art Archaeoacoustics Rituals Northern Europe 6131 Theatre dance music other performing arts Sound archaeology |
spellingShingle |
615 History and Archaeology Rock art Archaeoacoustics Rituals Northern Europe 6131 Theatre dance music other performing arts Sound archaeology Rainio, Riitta Lahelma, Antti Äikäs, Tiina Lassfolk, Kai Okkonen, Jari Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland |
topic_facet |
615 History and Archaeology Rock art Archaeoacoustics Rituals Northern Europe 6131 Theatre dance music other performing arts Sound archaeology |
description |
In northern Finland, near the canyon lakes of Julma-Ölkky, Somerjärvi and Rotkojärvi, steep rock cliffs produce distinctive acoustic spaces. On these cliffs, prehistoric rock paintings (5200 to 1000 BC) as well as an ancient Sámi offering site (circa 1100 to present) can be found. Ethnographic sources describe that the Sámi used to sing and listen to echoes while making offerings there. This article presents the results of an archaeoacoustic research project that seeks to explore the role of sound in the development and use of these archaeological sites. The innovative set of methods includes multichannel impulse response recording, angle-of-arrival estimation of early reflections, spectrum analysis, digital image processing and 3D laser scanning. On the basis of the analyses, it is concluded that the cliffs that have been painted or held as sacred are efficient sound reflectors. They create discrete echoes and, accordingly, phantom sound sources. Especially at the Värikallio cliff near Lake Somerjärvi, the sound appears to emanate directly from the painted figures. These results, together with previously unnoticed drumming figures in the Värikallio painting, provide a clue to the significance of the sound rituals at these sacred sites. Peer reviewed |
author2 |
Department of Philosophy, History and Art Studies Archaeology Musicology |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rainio, Riitta Lahelma, Antti Äikäs, Tiina Lassfolk, Kai Okkonen, Jari |
author_facet |
Rainio, Riitta Lahelma, Antti Äikäs, Tiina Lassfolk, Kai Okkonen, Jari |
author_sort |
Rainio, Riitta |
title |
Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland |
title_short |
Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland |
title_full |
Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland |
title_fullStr |
Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland |
title_sort |
acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern finland |
publisher |
SPRINGER NEW YORK LLC |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10138/328408 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(29.283,29.283,65.533,65.533) |
geographic |
Ölkky |
geographic_facet |
Ölkky |
genre |
Northern Finland |
genre_facet |
Northern Finland |
op_relation |
10.1007/s10816-017-9343-1 Rainio , R , Lahelma , A , Äikäs , T , Lassfolk , K & Okkonen , J 2017 , ' Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland ' , Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory , vol. 25 , no. 2 , pp. 453-474 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-017-9343-1 ORCID: /0000-0002-6517-6109/work/92109396 ORCID: /0000-0003-0995-3900/work/92110428 ORCID: /0000-0003-3879-4195/work/92111148 85024488484 99740108-a149-497e-93c9-861c25b31327 http://hdl.handle.net/10138/328408 000432326400007 |
op_rights |
cc_by openAccess info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
container_title |
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory |
container_volume |
25 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
453 |
op_container_end_page |
474 |
_version_ |
1787426979512844288 |