Roman theatres were designed to host spoken drama and musical performances, relying on typical semicircular architectural form and stone materials to achieve favourable acoustic conditions. This study investigates the acoustic behaviour of the Roman theatres of Herculaneum and Cales, two sites characterized by markedly different states of preservation and historical reconstruction challenges. The theatre of Herculaneum remains largely buried beneath volcanic deposits, requiring a hypothetical reconstruction based on archaeological documentation and historical sources, while the theatre of Cales is partially preserved and directly accessible for geometric surveys. Virtual acoustic models of both theatres were developed to analyses their sound field characteristics under unoccupied and occupied conditions. Key acoustic parameters relevant to music, including reverberation time, clarity, strength, and ITDG, were evaluated through numerical simulations. Particular attention was given to the influence of original surface materials, such as stone and wood, on sound propagation and spatial distribution. The comparative analysis highlights how differences in architectural layout, scale, and reconstruction assumptions affect the resulting acoustic performance. Despite these differences, both theatres exhibit acoustic conditions consistent with their intended use, demonstrating the effectiveness of Roman design principles. The results contribute to a better understanding of ancient performance spaces and provide insights into the acoustic restitution of Roman theatres.
Iannace et al. (Fri,) studied this question.