Creation of Functional Replica Roman and Late Antique Musical Instruments through 3D Scanning and Printing Technology, and their use in research and museum education

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 Replica artefacts and experimental archaeology
  • 1.2 The Petrie Museum objects
• 2. 3D Scanning and Modelling
  • 2.1 Equipment and processes
  • 2.2 Rattles
  • 2.3 Cymbals
  • 2.4 Bells
  • 2.5 Pipes
• 3. Craft Construction: Metal Objects
  • 3.1 Compositional analysis and production method
  • 3.2 Forged metal objects
  • 3.3 Cast metal objects
  • 3.4 Handles and fittings
• 4. Craft Construction: Ceramic Objects
• 5. Craft Construction: Wooden Objects
• 6. Craft Construction and 3D Models: Reed Objects
  • 6.1 3D printed panpipes
  • 6.2 Bamboo double pipes
  • 6.3 Bamboo panpipes
• 7. Discussion
• 8. Sound Recording
  • 8.1 Recording process
  • 8.2 Tunes, rhythms, and ensembles
• 9. Public Engagement
• 10. Conclusion
• Appendix 1: .stl files and 3D models
• Appendix 2: Sound Recordings
• Appendix 3: Visitor Questionnaire Form
• Acknowledgements

Figure 1: Lloyd Bosworth scanning panpipes UC33270 at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. © Ellen Swift

Figure 2: Comparison between Romer laser scan data (left) and Metashape photogrammetry data (right). The model derived from photogrammetry data shows good dimensional accuracy and yet has very poor detail reproduction. The ribbed effect to the surface on the right hand side, for instance, is not present on the original. © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 3: Bird rattle original, UC34972, and 3b, replica. Photo 3a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 3b © Lloyd Bosworth.

Figure 4: Nut-shaped rattle original, UC71557, and 4b, replica. Photo 4a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 4b © Lloyd Bosworth.

Figure 5: Pointed rattle original, UC65087, and 5b, replica. Photo 5a Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 4b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 6: Cymbal original, UC33269b, photo Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL

Figure 7: Panpipes original, UC33270, front view, and 7b, back view showing extant lengths of tubes. Photo 7a, Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth. Photo 7b, photo Mary Hinkley. Both courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL

Figure 8: 3D print of UC33270 panpipes in PLA, and 8b bamboo panpipes replica with waxed thread, photos © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 9: Double pipes original, UC59260, and 9b, replica. Photo 9a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 9b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 10: Cymbal original, UC35797, and 10b, replica. Photo 10a Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth, photo 10b Mary Hinkley, both courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL

Figure 11: Bell on bracelet original, UC58536, and 11b, replica. Photo 11a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 11b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 12: Bes bell original, UC8976, and 12b, replica. Photo 12a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 12b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 13: Rumbler bell original, UC30389, and 13b, replica. Photo 13a Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 13b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 14: Bell original, UC35794, and 14b, replica. Photo 14a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 14b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 15: Bell original, UC33261 and 15b, replica. Photo 15a Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 15b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 16: Cymbals original, UC35798, and 16b, replica. Photo 16a Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 16b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 17: Cymbals mounted on original handles (crotals) British Museum acc. no. EA 26260, © The Trustees of the British Museum. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Figure 18: Detail of the Mariamin mosaic, Hama Museum, Syria, © Agefotostock

Figure 19: Interior view of UC58538 showing how the clapper would strike the edge of the bell. Photo Ellen Swift edited by Lloyd Bosworth, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL

Figure 20: Spectrogram (frequency graph) produced by replica of UC35797, finger-cymbals, using app SpectrumView 2.2 © Ellen Swift

Figure 21: Spectrogram (frequency graph) produced by replica of UC33261, bell with multiple rings, using app SpectrumView 2.2 © Ellen Swift

Figure 22: Clappers original, UC59603 and UC59609, and 22b, replica. Photo 22a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 22b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 23: Clappers original, UC71305a–b, and 23b, replica. Photo 23a Mary Hinkley, courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. Photo 23b © Lloyd Bosworth

Figure 24: Spectrogram (frequency graph) produced by 3D printed photopolymer replica of UC33270, panpipes (with c. 3mm layer of wax applied to the ends of the tubes) using app SpectrumView 2.2. © Ellen Swift

Figure 25: Courtyard house at Tebtynis used for modelling of virtual acoustics, by Lloyd Bosworth, after Hadji-Minaglou 2007, fig. 56, House 3200-III.

Figure 26: Age range of Petrie Museum Questionnaire respondents, 'Sounds of Roman Egypt' Questionnaire, © Ellen Swift

Figure 27: Petrie Museum 'Sounds of Roman Egypt' Questionnaire, responses to question 'What did you like best?', © Ellen Swift

Table 1: Metal objects

Table 2: Ceramic objects

Table 3: Clay compositions

Table 4: Objects made from organic materials

Table 5: Frequency data for photopolymer replica of UC33270, panpipes (with c. 3mm layer of wax applied to the ends of the tubes)

Table 6: Qualitative feedback on the 'Sounds of Roman Egypt' exhibition: sensory experience

Anderson, R.D. 1976 Catalogue of Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum III: Musical Instruments, London: Trustees of the British Museum for British Museum Publications Ltd.

Avanzini, F., Canazza, S., De Poli, G., Fantozzi, C., Pretto, N., Rodà, A., Angelini, I., Bettineschi, C., Deotto, G., Faresin, E., Menegazzi, A., Molin, G., Salemi, G., Zanovello, P. 2015 'Archaeology and virtual acoustics. A pan flute from Ancient Egypt' in J. Timoney and T. Lysaght (eds) Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Sound and Music Computing SMC2015, Maynooth: Music Technology Research Group, Department of Computer Science, Maynooth University. 31–36. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.851067

Avanzini, F., Canazza, S., De Poli, G., Fantozzi, C., Micheloni, E., Pretto, N., Rodà, A., Gasparotto, S., Salemi, G. 2016 'Virtual reconstruction of an Ancient Greek pan flute' in R. Großmann and G. Hadju (eds) Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Sound and Music Computing Conference, Hamburg, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.851179

Barber, D. and Mills, J. 2007 3D Laser Scanning for Heritage: Advice and guidance to users on laser scanning in archaeology and architecture, York: English Heritage.

Bayley, J. and Butcher, S. 2004 Roman Brooches in Britain, London: Society of Antiquaries of London.

Bellia, A. 2015 'The virtual reconstruction of an ancient musical instrument: the Aulos of Selinus' in G. Guidi et al. (eds) 2015 Digital Heritage, Granada: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 55–58. https://doi.org/10.1109/DigitalHeritage.2015.7413833

Bénazeth, D. 1992 L'Art du Métal au Début de l'ère Chrétienne, Musée du Louvre Catalogue du Département des Antiquités Égyptiennes, Paris: Editions de la Réunion des Musées Nationaux.

Betts, E. 2017 'The multivalency of sensory artefacts in the City of Rome' in E. Betts (ed) Senses of the Empire: Multisensory Approaches to Roman Culture, London: Routledge. 23–38. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315608358-3

Both, A.A. 2019 'Archaeomusica — making the past audible', The Museum Journal 62(3), 425–37. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cura.12333

Campbell, M. and Greated, C. 1987 The Musician's Guide to Acoustics, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Craddock, P., Wallis, J. and Merkel, J. 2002 'The rapid qualitative analysis of groups of metalwork making a dream come true' in M. Redknap, N. Edwards, A. Lane and S. Youngs (eds) Pattern and Purpose in Insular Art, Oxford: Oxbow Books. 117–24.

Crummy, N. 1983 The Roman Small Finds from Excavations in Colchester 1971–79, Colchester Archaeological Report 2, Colchester: Colchester Archaeological Trust.

De Angeli, S., Both, A. A., Hagel, S., Holmes, P., Jiménez Pasalodos, R., and Lund, C. S. 2018 (eds) Music and Sounds in Ancient Europe, Rome: European Music Archaeology Project.

Drescher, H. 1998 'Rekonstruktionen und Versuche zu frühen Zimbeln und kleinen antiken Glocken', Saalburg Jahrbuch 49, 155–70.

Dunbabin, K. 2003 The Roman Banquet: Images of Conviviality, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Forster, E.S. 1927 (trans) The Works of Aristotle: Volume VII Problemata, Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Hadji-Minaglou, G. 2007 Les Habitations à l'est du Temple de Soknebtynis, Cairo: Institut Francais d'archéologie orientale.

Hagel, S. 2009 Ancient Greek Music: a new technical history, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511691591

Hagel, S. 2010 'Understanding the aulos Berlin Egyptian museum 12461/12462', Studien zur Musikarchäologie 7, 67–87.

Hagel, S. 2013 'Aulos and harp: questions of pitch and tonality', Greek and Roman Musical Studies 1(1), 151–71. https://doi.org/10.1163/22129758-12341241

Hamdan, M.A., Martinez, S.M., Garcia Vallès, M.T., Nogués, J.M., Hassan, F.A., Flower, R.J., Aly, M.H., Senussi, A. and Ebrahim, E.S. 2014 'Ancient Egyptian pottery from the subsurface floodplain of the Saqqara–Memphis area: its mineralogical and geochemical implications', Archaeometry 56(6), 987–1008. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12075

Hickmann, H. 1949a Catalogue général des Antiquités Égyptiennes du Musée de Caire, Instruments de Musique, Cairo: Service des Antiquités de l'Egypte.

Hickmann, H. 1949b 'Cymbales et Crotales dans l'Egypte ancienne', Annales du Service des Antiquités de l'Egypte 49, 451–545.

Hirmer, A. 2016, 13 Apr 2016 'How to Make the Traditional Reed Pipe "zummara"' [YouTube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJgVpIpcleQ [Last accessed: 24 February 2020].

Karasik, A. and Smilansky, U. 2008 '3D scanning technology as a standard archaeological tool for pottery analysis: practice and theory', Journal of Archaeological Science 35(5), 1148–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2007.08.008

Ketut Gede Sugita, I., Soekrisno, R. and Made Miasa, I. 2011 'Mechanical and damping properties of silicon bronze alloys for musical applications', International Journal of Engineering and Technology 11(6), 98–105.

Lutz, J. and Pernicka, E. 1996 'Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of ancient copper alloys: empirical values for precision and accuracy', Archaeometry 38, 313–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4754.1996.tb00779.x

Mathieu, J.R. 2002 'Introduction - experimental archaeology: replication past objects, behaviors and processes' in J.R. Mathieu (ed) Experimental Archaeology: replicating past objects, behaviors and processes, Oxford: Archaeopress. 1–11.

Millson, D.C E. 2011 'Introduction' in D.C.E. Millson (ed) Experimentation and Interpretation: the use of experimental archaeology in the study of the past, Oxford: Oxbow Books. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.30861/9781841714158

Musée d'archéologie méditerranée, Marseille 1997 Égypte Romaine: l'autre Égypte, Marseille: Musée d'archéologie méditerranée Marseille.

Mutz, A. 1972 Die Kunst des Metalldrehens bei den Römern, Basel: Birkhäuser Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6501-2

Nauerth, C. 1996 Karara und El-Hibe: die spätantiken ("Koptischen") Funde aus den badischen Grabungen 1913-14, Studien zur Archäologie und Geschichte Altägyptens Band 15, Heidelberg: Heidelberger Orientverlag.

Outram, A.K. 2008 'Introduction to experimental archaeology', World Archaeology 40(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438240801889456

Pelosi, C., Agresti, G., Holmes, P., Ervas, A., De Angeli, S. and Santamaria, U. 2016 'An X-ray fluorescence investigation of ancient Roman musical instruments and replica production under the aegis of the European Music Archaeological Project', International Journal of Conservation Science 7 (Special issue 2), 847–56.

Petrie, W.M.F. 1927 Objects of Daily Use, London: British School of Archaeology in Egypt.

Pöhlmann, E. 1970 Denkmäler Altgriechischer Musik, Nürnberg: Hans Carl.

Pöhlmann, E. and West, M.L. 2001 Documents of Ancient Greek Music, Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Redmount, C. and Morgenstein, M.E. 1996 'Major and trace element analysis of modern Egyptian pottery', Journal of Archaeological Science 23, 741–62. https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1996.0070

Rossing, T. 1984 'The acoustics of bells', American Scientist 72(5), 440–47.

Sachs, C. 1921 Die Musikinstrumente des Altens Agyptens, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Mitteilungen aus der Agyptischen Sammlung Band 3, Berlin: Verlag von Karl Curtius.

Swift, E. 2014 'Design, function and use-wear in spoons: reconstructing everyday Roman social practice', Journal of Roman Archaeology 27, 203–37. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047759414001214

Swift, E. 2017 Roman Artefacts and Society: Design, Behaviour, and Experience, Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198785262.001.0001

Swift, E., Stoner, J. and Pudsey, A. forthcoming A Social Archaeology of Roman and Late Antique Egypt: Artefacts of Everyday Life, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wardle, A. 1981 Musical Instruments in the Roman World, Unpublished PhD thesis, University College London.

West, M.L. 1992 Ancient Greek Music, Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Witkowski, M. 2017 'Printing the Bassano Basset recorder: a guide to downloading, 3D printing and assembling the Bate collection Bassano Basset recorder model' in University of Oxford Bate Collection, unpublished (Available from University of Oxford Bate Collection https://www.bate.ox.ac.uk/).

Ziegler, C. 1979 Catalogue des instruments de musique égyptiens, Paris: Édition de la Réunion des Musées Nationaux.