Although it not always obvious, sound guides how we experience the world around us. And the latest archaeoacoustic techniques show that even the world’s earliest architects understood this.

The ancient pre-Roman society of Etruria in central Italy, for example, embedded sound throughout its culture, using ritual calendars dedicated to recognising key noises of nature, such as thunder. They were also early pioneers of musical instruments in the southern Mediterranean region.

Surviving Etruscan painted tombs in towns such as Tarquinia, Chiusi and Orvieto are known for their dynamic scenes of music, feasting and the afterlife. But our latest research shows how these tombs – built for Etruscans of higher socioeconomic and political status – were designed to offer sophisticated sensory experiences.

This study springs from our existing research involving AI and acoustics. This includes the University of Oxford-led Sounds of Silence project, which has used new acoustic techniques to investigate the soundscapes surrounding these Etruscan tombs. At Duke University, meanwhile, the Neuroartifact project is using neuroscience and AI to better understand the cognitive impact of archaeological artefacts.

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