The Archaeology of Sound; The Oracle Chamber Of Malta’s Hypogeum Of Ħal-Saflieni

Malta’s Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is an enormous subterranean structure
dating to the Saflieni phase (3000-2500 BC) in Maltese prehistory.



The entrance to the Hypogeum is through an unsuspecting doorway
in an unsuspecting street. First discovered by accident in 1902 when
workers cutting cisterns for housing development broke through its roof.
The workers tried to hide the temple at first, but eventually it was reported.

Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni literally means "underground" in Greek.
Carved from solid rock it contains rock-cut features such as a
'speaking chamber', trilithons, lintelled-doorways, a large cistern
and a 'holy of holies' surrounded by 'embryonic chambers.
With its ceilings intact, the underground structure holds
secrets of a strange play of sound in the stone rooms and halls;
a "forgotten" technology which operates on the human emotional sphere.

Inside, a unique chamber carved out of solid limestone and demonstrating
incredible acoustic properties; ‘the Oracle Chamber’ or The Oracle Room.





The Oracle Room
A speaking chamber carved with a rounded interior surface;
The result is an echo which reverberates throughout the hypogeum.


"A word spoken in this room is magnified a hundredfold and is audible throughout the entire structure. The effect upon the credulous can be imagined when the oracle spoke and the words came thundering forth through the dark and mysterious place with terrifying impressiveness. "
William Arthur Griffiths

Standing in the Hypogeum is like being inside a giant bell. At certain pitches, one feels the sound vibrating in bone and tissue as much as hearing it in the ear. It’s actually quite thrilling.
www.otsf.org...

The Sound of Prehistory








A mans voice chanting around the 110 Hz frequency turns the entire
temple complex into a bizarre trance-inducing room that seems able to
stimulate the creative center of the human brain.

"This acoustic phenomenon, together with the hypogeum’s mysterious nature and its suggestive ambience, resulted in the site becoming associated with a number of fantastic stories, urban myths and legends," says Katya Stroud of Heritage Malta. "Amongst these are stories of serpent priests, genetic mutation, humanoid beings, and screams of children lost in caves underneath the site. Despite their dubious origins and unfounded nature, these stories are still making appearances in local and foreign media. It is now up to science to help us zoom back onto the real questions about the nature of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, particularly its acoustic design and effects."

... If one theory tests out as we suspect it might, then our Stone Age ancestors have left us a gift that has incredible relevance in the modern world: one that, for all our techno-savvy smartness, we would probably never have thought of again.”

It is no mystery as to the answer of did ancient people use sound;
The question remains as to How and Why?

in 2008 of an experiment in which regional brain activity in a number of healthy volunteers was monitored by EEG through exposure to different resonance frequencies. Their findings indicated that at 110 Hz the patterns of activity over the prefrontal cortex abruptly shifted, resulting in a relative deactivation of the language center and a temporary shifting from left to right-sided dominance related to emotional processing. This shifting did not occur at 90 Hz or 130 Hz.
Ancient Origins

Now, an international team of scientists is about to unlock the ancient mystery
of The Oracle Chamber in Malta’s Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni; believed to be the
oldest prehistoric underground temple in the world.

"Important Discoveries May Be Made"

Discovery Begins
Conference MALTA
ARCHAEOACOUSTICS
The Archaeology of Sound

A multi-disciplinary project has been outlined to undertake a challenging and unprecedented experiment. Once underway, on site in the Hypogeum, they will collect biofeedback data including EEG from living subjects exposed to naturally produced sound in the frequency of 110 Hz, emanating from the Oracle Chamber.

www.otsf.org...

Reading and Source Material
popular-archaeology.com...
www.otsf.org...
www.davidpublishing.org...
www.ancientmed.org...
www.sbresearchgroup.eu...

Related Thread by Skyfloating
The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni

This is exciting, new research into the ancient knowledge of sound,
vibration and its effect on our well being, as well as its known abilities to
affect our emotional states, and much more.

I have more to add, yet wanted to start the discussion;
Further material will be added

Updates to come during the conference if news is released.

reply to post by burntheships


S&F

This is an awesome story. I have experienced acoustic anomalies elsewhere, but to be able to accomplish that in the depths of this chamber is rather impressive.

~Namaste

reply to post by SonOfTheLawOfOne


Thanks much, and yes, and so long ago...
We know so much now, yet at the same time so little.

The site is so full of intrigue; a sanctuary originally,
that became a necropolis in prehistoric times.

Sources state that an underground connection exists or did exist
between Malta and reaches hundreds of miles and intersects the
catacombs below the hill Vaticanus in Rome.

And of course, the story of the teacher and the
children meeting mishap has always left me
highly curious.

alternativearchaeology.jigsy.com...

I have experienced acoustic anomalies elsewhere, but to be able to accomplish that in the depths of this chamber is rather impressive.

reply to post by SonOfTheLawOfOne


Just the very existance of the place is impressive....given the amount of time, effort, and resources required to hollow out such a complex. It is hard to imagine how it was done...or by whom.

The acoustic properties are fascinating....I've read that the King's chamber in the Great Pyramid has some interesting acoustical properties as well....it will be interesting to see where this research leads.

Incredible: on my way out but s/f/subscribed for later. bumpity.

Hi BTS
Sound waves spinning around the head cause brainwave entrainment, at aprox 3 to 12 cycles per second...
facilitating a relaxed suggestible state...this is built into many a mathmatical temple and cathedral....
its pythagorean math but that is the explanation for something in use already...

I used to have a program that would slice up a recorded conversation into single words and then randomize them and it would then spit out the remixed audio
in the random sounds phrases would appear which related to the question being asked
these would be like random echoes coming from all those surfaces and you would hear your answer in them

the program's name had something to do with the term EVP, and is related to the term reverse speach which also produces telling phrases...

What a mystery...

I can imagine that some had discovered the power of sound early and that others either could not understand or manipulate it and therefore came to know their place.

Interesting stuff...

S+F

reply to post by burntheships


Maybe TPTB at the time used the Oracle's chanting at a specific frequency or resonance as a form of mind control/influence over the populace. Given that specific sound frequencies have been shown to have an influence over our bodies, minds and emotions.

deadcalm

I've read that the King's chamber in the Great Pyramid has some interesting acoustical properties as well.

Yes, it is fascinating to learn that thousands of years ago men
knew how to build structures using this knowledge.

The ancients use of "forgotten" or hidden technology
was in plain sight, pyramids included. I suspect
that much of this knowledge is well known,
well researched in terms of its use in many scientific
areas, some of it may remain classified, some of
it hidden by those who always knew.

Researchers present evidence of sophisticated sonic illusions in ancient sites around the world.

ancient peoples created sophisticated sonic illusions in ceremonial spaces ranging from Mayan temples to Stonehenge.

Humanity's fascination with sound runs deep. In Utah's Horseshoe Canyon, ancient people drew artwork where echoes are loudest. Around the world, Stone Age artists typically painted in caverns with the greatest reverberation.

reply to post by The GUT


Thanks for stopping by Gut,
Hope you have time to come by later,
would love to hear your thoughts,
I know you are thinking....

Danbones
Hi BTS
Sound waves spinning around the head cause brainwave entrainment,
at aprox 3 to 12 cycles per second...
facilitating a relaxed suggestible state...this is built into many a mathmatical
temple and cathedral....

Yes, this is interesting. Above ground, below ground.


Chichen Itza's ball court

At 541 feet long and 240 feet wide, it was the largest in Mesoamerica, with walls on two sides and small temples at either end.

The temples formed a whispering gallery that amplified sounds spoken within them. A person speaking in a normal voice in one temple could be heard by those standing in the other temple 540 feet away, and to players on the ball field. Such voices would have sounded like they were coming from thin air.

"They could create other sounds, like a whooping bird flying from left to right," Lubman said. "The ball court was a matter of life and death for the players, and priests could also make sounds that sounded like fierce animals, such as rattlesnakes and jaguars."
www.insidescience.org...

Some say by accident, though I rather agree with you, use of ancient
sacred geometry.

reply to post by burntheships


Bedtime here in Ireland, just wanted to post to follow tomorrow
Great thread, excellent topic

Very informative and fascinating; S&F!
Thanks for the links; I have lots of research to do now.

Acoustic properties of limestone

Limestone has particular acoustic properties.
The Greeks chose limestone to line the seats in
their amphitheaters because of its ability to transfer the sound.

Where did they get this information?

Maybe they found out for themselves,
or maybe they got it from somebody that
came before them


Human Hearing Spans

"Perfect" human hearing spans frequencies 20 Hertz to 20 kiloHertz, a range of 11 octaves and larger than any musical instrument. It is also finely sensitive to air pressure modulations over many orders of magnitude, from as minute as 20 micropascals (the "noise of silence") to over 150 deciBels (a jet engine at 100 feet). Hearing is our most perceptive sense by far. At least one-third of the human brain is related in some way to sound perception or creation. Sound is intrinsic with life.

Hearing en.wikipedia.org...
Octave en.wikipedia.org...
Fletcher-Munson en.wikipedia.org...
Pascals en.wikipedia.org...
Threshold of Hearing en.wikipedia.org...
Decibels en.wikipedia.org...

Popular Archaeology in its March 5, 2012

"This structure is unique in that it is subterranean, created through the removal of an estimated 2,000 tons of stone. Low voices within its walls create eerie, reverberating echoes, and a sound made of words spoken in certain places can be clearly heard throughout all of its three levels. Now, scientists are suggesting that certain sound vibration frequencies created when sound is emitted within its walls are actually altering human brain functions of those within earshot."

Malta's Hypogeum "Oracle Room" where a male voice speaking "vibrates other minds" in the larger chamber at 110-111 Hertz. The spirals are reminiscent of the Meru Foundation, and Daniel Winter's extensive research into sacred geometry
milbert.com...

An Architectural Assessment Today

“these were a people who searched with a sense of purpose and dedication,with a knowledge and awareness in tunewith the totality of darkness and light.Theirs was a language of the amalgamation of science and art … The cyclic time factor of the life-death-rebirth pattern is reflected in these peoples’ obsession with the mystic spiral pattern …To think of the orbicular womb-like spaces of the Hypogeum and the mystery that lies hidden within them is sufficient to entice the curiosity of all who have the ecstasy of human transcendental knowledge close to their hearts”

“Symbolically the Hypogeum at Hal-Saflieni represents a labyrinthine womb,
and it is most unlikely that the early Maltese were not conscious of this symbolism”

One important piece of evidence pointingto the initial function of the Hypogeum is to be found in what has been appropriately named the Oracular room by Zammit. The acoustics of this chamberin relation to the remainder of the Hypogeum prove beyond any doubt that this subterranean megalithic structure had been designed for a supernatural function, whether this was religion, initiation, magic, medicine or mythology.

The Oracular room lies in the middle level; it has a “highly arched ceiling richly decorated with a red scroll interspersed with painted discs of different sizes. This mysterious pattern undoubtedly had a symbolic meaning, for the decoration adopted by primitive people was never casual but always had reference to the irreligion, magic or totemism”

www.academia.edu...

A good example of how sound can effect a person is how the lowest notes on a pipe organ can stimulate the nerves in the solar plexus effecting emotion - causing an apprehensive feeling
an old silent movie trick
In this case because the sound is just at the bottom of the range the ear can hear, you might not even hear any sound with your ears

I find playing music is so much more fun when you have something to bounce off of

Danbones
A good example of how sound can effect a person is how the lowest notes on a pipe organ can stimulate the nerves in the solar plexus effecting emotion - causing an apprehensive feeling

Yes, a good example
Having tested this.......ever watch an old Alfred Hitchcock movie
with the sound turned down?

To give you an idea of the age of this monument, the Pyramids were built around 2500 BC, Stonehenge was built around 2000 BC.

The limestone was carved out using tools made of flint, stone and deer horn. When the room known as “Holy of Holies” was discovered, some thought it was a medieval temple because the carving was so precise. It’s beyond amazing how these people were able to cut and polish such perfect lines. Most archeologists believe this indoor domed temple mirrors what the outdoor temples must have looked like. They stacked slabs of limestone on top of each other, gracefully cantilevering each layer from the upright walls towards the center. When the slabs met in the center, they carved out the dome ceiling of the interior. It’s so sophisticated and so perfect and yet they did it 5000 years ago.

Another chamber known as the “Oracle’s Chamber” has circular red ochre decoration painted on the ceiling of the stone, still in very good condition. The room has a magical resonance when activated by a certain timber of a deep male voice. Yes, the room actually vibrates.
romeonrome.com...

reply to post by burntheships


Interesting Thread !

I was reading about the Hypogeum a few months ago. It is interesting that the name is very similar to a part of our brain, the hypothalamus. Seems they knew more than we can imagine, about sound/vibration/frequency and our brains.

The hypothalamus (from Greek ὑπό = under and θάλαμος = room, chamber)

source

leolady

burntheships
Acoustic properties of limestone

Limestone has particular acoustic properties.
The Greeks chose limestone to line the seats in
their amphitheaters because of its ability to transfer the sound.

The Greeks probably used limestone because it's easy to both find, quarry and shape.

Please elucidate for us the acoustic properties of limestone that are not matched by other stones. And I don't mean the acoustic properties wherein limestone transfers sound waves through a limestone bed. I mean the property you state that it reflects sound better than, say, granite or, say gneiss or any of the various feldspars.

Harte

reply to post by Harte


That was taken from a source material, and its not what the thread is
focused on,

The Greeks probably used limestone

your guess? But nice drive by you missed the OP entirely,
if you imagine the design of the temple and the acoustic
properties were also happenstance you welcome to your ideas.



Heh, there is always one.
Rhymes with roll starts with T.