The cave spoke back—Acoustic field testing at prehistoric archaeology sites

Hearing unexpected sounds at prehistoric sites led to breakthrough discoveries in Archaeoacoustics. I will present results of my original acoustic field investigations of the soundscapes of archaeological sites.—When I heard a painted cave speak back to me in the form of an echo, I theorized that beliefs in echo spirits motivated our ancestors to risk their lives to make prehistoric cave paintings and canyon petroglyphs. Ancient cultures personified sound reflection, interpreted around the world as mythical spirits calling back from the rocks. —Our ancestors believed that the thunder heard in the sky was caused by various supernatural beings including sky gods in the form of hooved animals, thunderbirds, and rainbow serpents. I theorize that thunderous reverberation in caves, together with those beliefs expressed in thunder myths, inspired prehistoric cave art. Archaeological evidence will be presented that sounds were made in reverberant locations to mimic thunder as part of rain-making ceremonies.—Simple musical instruments such as bagpipes can cause sound wave interference patterns that mimic the acoustic shadows of a ring of gigantic stones blocking the sound. This mysterious auditory illusion could have tricked the ears of our ancestors and served as a blueprint for Stonehenge.