The Teotihuacan Soundtrail is not our usual fare of digital storytelling. This Soundtrail is not so much about stories, but it is about the sound of ancient instruments.
Music Archaeologist Dr. Arnd Adje Both explores what unearthed ancient instruments from this astonishing and vast Mexican world heritage site might have sounded like. With the help of producer Simon Bradley they now play onsite via Soundtrails for visitors to explore.
This project is experimental, academic and quite eerie. Tests on location have surpassed expectations in how evocative these sounds become when hearing them amongst the ancient structures.
Teotihuacan: The City of the Gods
Teotihuacan is a UNESCO World Heritage site situated in the central Mexican highlands. It was the urban center of one of the most impressive archaeological cultures of the World. During the Early Classic period of Mesoamerica (100-600 CE), the city expanded over 20 square kilometres inhabited by around 150,000 people.
The ancient site can be imagined as a place full of music and sounds, a sonic environment that has been buried for a very long time. Along with its pyramids and temple structures covered by earth and vegetation the noises of everyday life ceased, the music was gone.
A multisensory scientific-artistic endeavour, the Teotihuacan Virtual Sound Mapping Project, was designed to break the silence of the site.
This Soundtrail gathers what has been recovered so far. Musical improvisations are played on original sound artefacts and reconstructions, and the sonic impressions include field recordings of Teotihuacan soundscapes.
You can sample the sounds on the web version of the Teotihuacan Soundtrail here.
If you are planning to visit Teotihuacan archaeological zone check the INAH website for the latest information on opening hours and fees. As the Soundtrail is large (90MB) and the wifi connection at the site is weak, make sure to download the Soundtrails App and the Teotihuacan Soundtrail from the App Store or Google Play Store while you are somewhere with good wifi or mobile reception.
If you are interested in music archeology you might enjoy this in depth video about the Teotihuacan Soundscape project and also the Teotihuacan Virtual Sound Mapping Project website.