In its broadest sense, music archaeology is the study of the phenomenon of past musical behaviours and sound. This cross-disciplinary discipline comprises a series of approaches, including archaeological and musicological perspectives. The basis of research is music-related material finds, such as excavated and otherwise conserved sound artefacts (or ancient tools for sound and music production), as well as depictions of instrumentalists, singers, and dancers showing musical instruments and performance postures, sometimes including views of the original settings. As various archaeological cultures left such finds, many of the sociocultural contexts and meanings of past music can be studied. Today it is widely accepted that finds and depictions of ancient musical instruments are not only markers of musical traditions in space and time—especially when the archaeological contexts are well documented—but also a valuable means for experimentally testing ancient playing techniques. In the case of original sound artefacts (or their replicas), their acoustic function and the basic acoustic characteristics of a once performed music can also be reproduced and analysed. Additionally, acoustic spaces, such as architectural structures, caves, and other natural places, are the subject of music archaeological studies. The information obtained from the archaeological record can be deepened considerably when ancient scripts, historical treaties, and other written sources concerning music are related. Such documents offer notes on performance practices and their sociocultural contexts. For some cultures, hints concerning ancient music theory and musical aesthetics may also be found and, if ancient notations are related, even clues to aspects of musical structures are provided. Finally, the study of contemporary music cultures in which past musical traditions are preserved is valuable for comparative studies. In this paper the virtues of studying these sources are defined, but the limits of music archaeological research are also considered.

The author addresses the challenge and possible solutions related to museum display of archaeological sounds and music in museum contexts. By reflecting on his own work as a curator, the author illustrates his approach through examples drawn from the travelling exhibition ARCHAEOMUSICA – The Sounds and Music of Ancient Europe. The exhibition was presented in a variety of museums between 2016 and 2018.

This paper presents the acoustic study of a sample of sonic artefacts, in particular a selection of wind instruments (horns, trumpets and pipes), from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Teotihuacan, Mexico, based on a thorough examination of the accessible and playable archaeological finds and the construction and subsequent test of a series of experimental models. Combined with the archaeological and iconographical information, the study helps to deduce information with regard to the urban settings in which these instruments might have been used. It also reveals some basic acoustic components of the music once performed in Teotihuacan.

This paper presents the results of a study on the quadruple flutes (multiple pipes) from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Teotihuacan, Mexico, based on a thorough examination of the fragmented, restored and partly reconstructed archaeological finds and the manufacture and subsequent test of a series of playable reproductions with a refined reconstructive design. For the latter, organological features, such as the diameter, number and position of the fingerholes/tone holes and the length of the individual pipes of the restored finds are challenged and a new design is proposed that might be closer to the original construction of the Teotihuacan instruments. The study reveals a better understanding of the particular construction, acoustics and musical possibilities of the Teotihuacan quadruple flutes.

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