Towards a New Approach in the Study of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Introduction
The application of new technologies to cultural heritage has led to important methodological changes in the protection and enhancement of monuments. This new approach is stated in the objectives of the International Council on Monuments and Sites,
1 which aims to restore meaning and preserve the memory of historic buildings, promoting the application of technology in the assessment of monuments: this is particularly interesting with regard to the recovery of archaeological heritage.

The European Commission report, New Technologies for the Cultural Heritage Sector,
2 states that virtual reality will provide “an impressive, immersive and involving product”. Within this context, archaeoacoustics is being used as a new method for the analysis of historical heritage, enabling the evaluation of the sound quality of a space (Scarre and Graeme, 2006; Suárez et al., 2016)
3 by using auralisation techniques which allow cognitive and physical elements to be reproduced and combined (Eneix, 2014).
4

The STESICHOROS
5 project aims to assess the cultic theatres acoustics through the acoustic reconstruction of a particular case study at Selinunte in Sicily. It is also hoped that the results might provide some foundations from which to create experimental interpretative reconstructions of what the cultic theatres might have sounded like, using acoustics and digital technology in order to recover their lost intangible heritage.

The Cultic Theatre at Selinunte and its Acoustics

The ancient site of Selinunte is recognised today as one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek period in Italy. In 2006, the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University began a research project on the acropolis in collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Selinunte. The project consists of a new, systematic and interdisciplinary study of the archaeology and architecture of the main urban sanctuary, beginning with its southern sector.
The investigation included a systematic programme of documenting the buildings in the area and its digital reconstruction (Fig. 1). Several elements suggest the identification of the ‘South Building’ as an impressive theatral viewing area with particular acoustic qualities (Marconi and Scahill, 2015).
6

This building belongs to a group of theatral structures found in various regions of the Greek world. Many of these structures were not proper “theatres”, but rather primitive rows of seats, with linear and non-circular
theatra and/or
orchestra.

The acoustics of the linear
theatra in the Greek world have never been analysed (Blesser and Salter, 2011):
7 no study has focused on the acoustics of these theatres in order to understand how and why these spaces were chosen for auditory and synaesthetic experiences (Schofield 2014; Mattioli et al., 2017).
8

Fig. 1. Digital reconstruction of the theatral area in Selinunte (Sicily)

(Marconi and Scahill, 2015, fig. 11).

Research Objectives
The STESICHOROS project has emerged to address the gap in international scholarship. Previous acoustic research has concentrated only on circular theatres in the Greek world. It will establish a new line of research to complete a study on the acoustics of the linear and non-circular
theatra.

The overall objective of the STESICHOROS project is the assessment and recovery of the lost intangible heritage of cultic theatresʼ acoustics through acoustic reconstruction of these spaces of the past. Using archaeoacoustics as an emerging discipline that involves the study of ancient sites (Bertolis and Bisconti, 2013),
9 the reconstruction will recreate what the cultic theatre in Selinunte might have sounded like. The project aims to verify whether it is possible that this building was built in a precise place for its acoustical qualities.

Research methodology and approach
In order to analyse the acoustic characteristics of the cultic theatre at Selinunte, we plan three main tasks:

1. current acoustic simulation with the creation of a geometric 3D model of the building in its current state;

2. simulation, acoustics and auralisation with a creation of geometric 3D models of the building (non-existent). This process allows the use of visual and sound virtual reality to perceive and experience the sound response of a non-existent space which we have recreated thanks to digital technology;
10

3. acoustic parameters, simulations, auralisations includes a comparative study and perception of the acoustic variations in the cultic theatre during its history.

Expected results
This project will provide the first acoustic model for the study of acoustical properties of cultic theatres in the ancient Greek world. It is also hoped that the results will provide some foundations from which to create experimental interpretative 3D reconstructions integrating acoustic models. The results will establish a new framework, which future researchers can use to advance their knowledge of the
application of 3D technology to virtual acoustics in order to offer an innovative research method in visualisation and immersive experiences related to the reconstruction of archaeological sites and their soundscapes.

Bibliography

ICOMOS.

http://www.icomos.org/en/charters-and-texts

.

European Communities, DigiCULT, Technological Landscapes for Tomorrow’s Cultural Economy, Luxembourg, 2002.

ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/ist/docs/digicult/full_report.pdf

[Accessed 11 July 2017].

Scarre, C. and Graeme, L. (eds.) (2006)
,
Archaeoacoustics
, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge;
Suárez, R., Alonso A., and Sendra J.J. (2016)
,
Archaeoacoustics of Intangible Cultural Heritage
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Eneix, L.C. (ed.) (2014)
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The STESICHOROS project has been funded by the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme: the project is hosted at the Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council in Italy.

Marconi, C. and Scahill, D. (2015)
, ‘The “South Building” in the Main Urban Sanctuary of Selinus: A Theatral Structure?’, in (eds.) Frederiksen, R.,
et alii
,
The Architecture of the Ancient Greek Theatre
, Aarhus, pp. 281-294.

Blesser, B.A. and Salter, L.-R. (2011)
,
Beyond Measurements: A Multi-disciplinary Framework for Aural Experience of Ancient Spaces
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The Acoustics of Ancient Theatres
, Patras, September 18-21, 2011:

http://www.blesser.net/downloads/Blesser-Salter%20Beyond%20Measurments.pdf

.

Schofield, J. (2014),
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Mattioli, T., et alii (2017)
,
Echoing landscapes: Echolocation and the Placement of Rock Art in the Central Mediterranean
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De Bertolis, P. and Bisconti, N. (2013)
, Archaeoacoustics in Ancient Sites, in 1st International Virtual Scientific Conference, June, 10-14, 306-310:

http://www.sbresearchgroup.eu/Immagini/Archaeoacoustics_in_ancient_sites.pdf

.

Barba, A. et alii 2013
, ‘Aplicación de técnicas virtuales al patrimonio arquitectónico teatral: reconstrucción y estudio de arquitecturas inexistentes’, Rebista sobre teatro, 7, 457-481.