Internet Archaeol. 16. Mlekuz. Building the soundscape

4.0 Building the Soundscape

In the next part of the article I will guide the reader through the creation of a digital model of a soundscape, using some routines developed so far. I intend to tackle and illustrate some of the points and dilemmas mentioned and introduce some procedural and pragmatic questions using a case study from Polhograjsko hribovje in central Slovenia.

I do not aim to provide a full-scale archaeological interpretation of the study area but focus on the rationale behind, and potential of, the model to offer some comments and points of departure for the archaeological interpretation of the Polhograjsko hribovje late medieval soundscapes.

The core of this section engages the implementation of theoretical concepts discussed in the first part within a Geographical Information System. It deals with issues of representing sound propagation in GIS, and defines digital models of acoustic space and soundscape. The technical details and mathematical background of the model are detailed in the model implementation notes, whereas the actual implementation and the model used can be found here.

4.1 Study area, gives a brief overview of the study area used in the analysis.
4.2 Sound propagation, discusses some dilemmas within the modelling of past sounds.
4.3 Acoustic space, describes the process of building the digital model of acoustic space.
4.4 Digital model of soundscape, describes the goal of this exercise.
4.5 In place of results, offers some food for thought on the role of sound in the study area environment.