The 26th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists took place virtually between 24 and 30 August 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Artsoundscapes Project actively participated in the event with the session «Archaeology of Soundscapes and Soundscapes for Archaeology», organized by Principal Investigator Margarita Díaz-Andreu (ICREA and University of Barcelona), Professor Rupert Till (University of Huddersfield) and music archaeologist Raquel Jiménez-Pasalodos (University of Valladolid and University of Barcelona). The session took place on 27 June, from 9 am to 1 pm.
The papers dealt with music, acoustics and sounds in the landscapes of many corners of Europe and elsewhere. They explored sensory experiences, the social impact of musical performance, and optimal acoustics. The speakers mentioned a wide range of methodologies, including GIS, textual and iconographic analysis, the use of virtual sound maps and experimentation. Ritual ceremonies but also civic celebrations have repeatedly appeared in the presentations in a multiple array of contexts: urbanscapes, caves, temples and, of course, landscapes. The session has highlighted the fact that the study of soundscapes is still a key aspect of archaeoacoustics in need of much research.
