The Bosun's Whistle
The archaeology of sound?
Hearing the past is not usually considered when thinking about archaeology. But producing sound was the primary purpose of some objects, so it only makes sense to try to use that sound to understand the piece.
A perfectly preserved gold whistle from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Santa Margarita is a good example of this idea. The whistle is thought to have belonged to the bosun, and as such it would have been used to pipe calls to the crew to give them direction.
It is one thing to admire the whistle for its golden beauty, but what sound does it make? As you can hear, it gives a high-pitched, piercing sound; one that easily catches attention. Was this the very call that the Margarita's bosun Mateo Martin used to command sailors? Whatever the case, the sound of the whistle gives a bit better understanding of the acoustic environment onboard the galleon from 400 years ago.
Hearing the past is not usually considered when thinking about archaeology. But producing sound was the primary purpose of some objects, so it only makes sense to try to use that sound to understand the piece.
A perfectly preserved gold whistle from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Santa Margarita is a good example of this idea. The whistle is thought to have belonged to the bosun, and as such it would have been used to pipe calls to the crew to give them direction.
It is one thing to admire the whistle for its golden beauty, but what sound does it make? As you can hear, it gives a high-pitched, piercing sound; one that easily catches attention. Was this the very call that the Margarita's bosun Mateo Martin used to command sailors? Whatever the case, the sound of the whistle gives a bit better understanding of the acoustic environment onboard the galleon from 400 years ago.
