Conch Shell Trumpet Played for First Time in 3,000 Years



Archaeologists found twenty intact conch shell trumpets at a site in the Andes Mountains. They tested them to determine how they could be played and what sounds they could make:

As an expert shell musician blew into the horn, researchers recorded the sound’s path via four tiny microphones placed inside the player’s mouth, the shell’s mouthpiece, the shell’s main body and at the shell’s large opening, or bell. Similar to a bugle, the instruments only sound one or two tones, but like a French horn, the pitch changes when the player plunges his hand into the bell.

The team used signal-processing software to characterize the acoustic properties of each trumpet. Following the sound’s path made it possible to reconstruct the ancient shell’s interior, a feat that normally involves sawing the shell apart or zapping it with X-rays.


Link via io9 | Photo: José Luis Cruzado, Chavin de Huantar Investigation and Conservation Project

Newest 5
Newest 5 Comments

That's exactly what I thought. Too liberal a use of the word expert... What did you go to school for? Shell Music Theory- focusing on Conch.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.




Email This Post to a Friend
"Conch Shell Trumpet Played for First Time in 3,000 Years"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More