Work

Signalling and music-making: interpreting the Neolithic shell trumpets of Catalonia (Spain)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The use of large Charonia seashells as labial vibration aerophones is documented in various cultures around the world. In Catalonia, north-eastern Iberia, 12 such instruments have been recovered from Neolithic contexts, dating from the second half of the fifth and the first half of the fourth millennia BC, yet they have received little attention in academia. Given that some examples retain the ability to produce sounds, their archaeoacoustic study offers insight into possible uses and meanings for Neolithic communities. While not all can still produce sounds, the high sound intensity of those that do may indicate a primary function as signalling devices that facilitated communication in Neolithic communities.

Source: Antiquity

DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.10220

Authors: Miquel López-Garcia, Margarita Díaz-Andreu

Institutions: Universitat de Barcelona, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats

Language: English

Topic: Archaeological and Geological Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550

OpenAlex ID: W4416890665

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