History involves learning about people across time. All aspects of their lives are potentially interesting, but some have been more difficult to research or have been neglected. One neglected aspect of the past is the sonic environment.
Most research on past soundscapes has focused on spectacular places such as prehistoric caves, or elite buildings like cathedrals and palaces. However, to understand the experience of ordinary people and communities, we need to consider more mundane, everyday buildings.
The 3D simulation of Building A created from the laser scans can help address these questions using a computer programme called Odeon Room Acoustics Software. This enables us to model how people’s conversations, music, tools and other noises sounded in the building. By experimenting with the software, we can begin to understand better how life sounded for ordinary people in the early Middle Ages.
