ECHOES AT ROCK ART SITES:

On February 24, 2010, I posted a column which broached the subject of the acoustics of rock art.

Entrance to Grotte du Pech-Merle, p.14,
Lucy Rault, 2000, Musical Instruments, Craftsmanship
and Tradition from Prehistory to the Present.

According to some researchers it is possible to find interesting acoustics at many rock art sites. In locales where the rock art is on cliffs they believe that the form of the cliffs often provides for a stronger echo than other nearby sections of cliff. Measurements of the strength of echoes from various surfaces in painted European caves suggest that this can indeed be the case. In 2000 Lucy Rault wrote in Musical Instruments: Craftsmanship and Tradition from Prehistory to the Present, that “comparable investigations at Niaux have similarly demonstrated that in this cave places with particularly strong echoes also have images associated with them, some if these, significantly, mark places where sounds linger for several seconds. We can therefore conclude that the choice of locations for wall figures seems to have been made largely on the basis of their acoustical value. Sometimes whole walls remain empty where the corresponding space, however vast it may be, produces no echo. On the other hand, places favorable for echoes are marked and painted, even if their location made such decoration difficult to accomplish.” (Rault 2000:22).

Horse, Grotte de Niaux, Ariege, p.22
Lucy Rault, 2000, Musical Instruments, Craftsmanship
and Tradition from Prehistory to the Present.

The accompanying illustrations are examples from her interesting book of painted panels that display strong echoes in European caves.

Bison, Grotte du Portel, Ariege, p. 23,
Lucy Rault, 2000, Musical Instruments, Craftsmanship
and Tradition from Prehistory to the Present.

Since rock art is often found on large, reasonably flat cliff surfaces I have experienced many times in various parts of the American West the phenomenon of echoes from rock art sites. It appears to be an unavoidable function of the location that echoes will be heard. I had assumed that it was simply a coincidence; it simply had not occurred to me that there might be a connection between the echo and the art. Given this information concerning echoes and cave paintings in the painted caves of Europe I believe now that I have to re-evaluate this connection.
REFERENCE:

Rault, Lucy
2000 Musical Instruments, Craftsmanship and Tradition from Prehistory to the Present, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York.