Pellet bells from the Avar and the Carolingian period in the Keszthely region (Hungary): function - sounds - alloys - adhering textiles (original) (raw)
Related papers
Archeometriai Műhely, 2023
The collections of the Balaton Museum in Keszthely and of the Hungarian National Museum contain around 50 pellet bells from the Great Migration period from the Keszthely Region. All originate from cemeteries and were analysed concerning their find position, function, sounds, psychoacoustic parameters, and chemical compositions. Additionally, adhering textiles were investigated. Primarily children wore pellet bells hanging from their tunic. Pellet bell served as amulets and the idea that their sounds and metals protect are still popular today. Kivonat A keszthelyi Balaton Múzeum és a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum gyűjteményei közel ötven, népvándorlás kori csörgőt őriznek a keszthelyi régióból. A leletek temetőkből származnak. A csörgőket megtalálási helyzetük, hangzásuk, pszichoakusztikus paramétereik és kémiai összetételük alapján elemeztük, valamint vizsgáltuk a rajtuk megőrződött textilmaradványokat. Elsősorban a gyerekek viselték a tunikájukról lelógó csörgőket. A csörgőket amullettként használták, a hangjuk és anyaguk védelmező funkciója manapság is népszerű elképzelés.
PELLET BELLS AND BELLS FROM THE AVAR PERIOD IN THE HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
Archeometriai Műhely 2022/XIX./1., 2022
The Great Migration Period collection of the Hungarian National Museum houses more than 67 pellet bells and bells from the Avar Period, which are part of the research project 'Metallic Idiophones between 800 BC and 800 AD in Central Europe'. They originate from 17 archaeological sites. The idiophones are presented within their find context and classified into types. Chemical analyses were carried out non-destructively by using a handheld XRF. The sounds of the original objects were recorded and analysed about their frequency ranges and psychoacoustic parameters. Several suggestions of the idiophones function complete the article. Ten textiles were analysed on the pellet bells, revealing some information on possible pieces of clothing and the positioning in the burial. Kivonat A Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum népvándorlás kori gyűjteményében tizenhét lelőhelyről származó, több mint hatvanhét, avar kori csörgő és csengő található, amelyeket a 'Metallic Idiophones between 800 BC and 800 AD in Central Europe' kutatási projekt keretében vizsgáltunk. Bemutatjuk a tárgyak leletösszefüggéseit és osztályozzuk őket. Kémiai összetételüket roncsolásmentesen, kézi XRF spektrométerrel határoztuk meg. Rögzítettük a tárgyak hangját, elemeztük a frekvenciatartományukat és pszichoakusztikus paramétereiket. Az idiofonok funkciója kapcsán több elméletet felvázolunk. Tíz, csörgőn megőrződött textilmaradványt is elemeztünk, amely révén adatot kaphatunk a lehetséges ruhadarabokról és a síron belüli elhelyezkedésről.
Pellet Bells from the Avar age Cemeteries of Komárno
Slovenská archeológia, vol. 69, no. 1, 2021
the pellet bells from 15 graves of the avar cemeteries komárno iv, viii and iX were examined for their position in the graves, their types, their acoustic and psychoacoustic parameters and their metallurgical compositions within the framework of the research project ‘Metallic idiophones between 800 Bc and 800 aD in central europe’. Based on the results, assumptions could be made about their functions. Burials with pellet bells are only a minority among all the total amount of burials of all three cemeteries together and date from the middle avar period ii onwards. only five graves belonged to children. these pellet bells can be interpreted as amulets and rather silent signal instruments, fixed on the clothes of the persons. the other ten grave belonged to horsemen and their horses. these pellet bells were part of the horse harness and served as jewellery, warning signal instrument and amulet. Most of the pellet bells were hammered of bronze sheet, and followed by those cast in bronze. But there are also pellet bells hammered of iron, copper and brass sheet. their main frequencies could be determined between 1.5 – 4.5 khz. acoustic and psychoacoustic parameters can help to identify also similarities and differences between the objects and to get an idea of the actual sound. especially loudness and level can also be used to draw conclusions about the use of the objects. a video with the original sounds of the pellet bells was created and loaded up on the internet platform youtube: ‘Pellet Bells from the avar Period in komárno’.
Zborník Slovenského národného múzea, 2022
The collections of the Balaton Museum in Keszthely and of the Hungarian National Museum contain around 50 pellet bells from the Great Migration period from the Keszthely Region. All originate from cemeteries and were analysed concerning their find position, function, sounds, psychoacoustic parameters, and chemical compositions. Additionally, adhering textiles were investigated. Primarily children wore pellet bells hanging from their tunic. Pellet bell served as amulets and the idea that their sounds and metals protect are still popular today. Kivonat A keszthelyi Balaton Múzeum és a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum gyűjteményei közel ötven, népvándorlás kori csörgőt őriznek a keszthelyi régióból. A leletek temetőkből származnak. A csörgőket megtalálási helyzetük, hangzásuk, pszichoakusztikus paramétereik és kémiai összetételük alapján elemeztük, valamint vizsgáltuk a rajtuk megőrződött textilmaradványokat. Elsősorban a gyerekek viselték a tunikájukról lelógó csörgőket. A csörgőket amullettként használták, a hangjuk és anyaguk védelmező funkciója manapság is népszerű elképzelés.
Studia archaeologica Brunensia, 2023
76 Roman bells and 91 pellet bells from the Early Medieval Avar and Carolingian periods from Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia cast in various copper alloys were investigated. They were classified into archaeological types and chemical analyses were carried out to get knowledge about their alloys' compositions. Since the material, among other parameters, influences timbre and sound perception, one Roman bell and one Avar pellet bell were reproduced in six different copper alloys, to examine the influence of the materials. Additionally, six bars were cast, and five plates were forged. All objects were recorded and analysed (psycho-)acoustically for a multitude of parameters to find out which are rather influenced by material and which are mainly altered by other parameters, such as shape or weight.
2013
Bells, important objects of worship, have long been associated with particular religious practices and went almost exclusively to the attention of church ministers. Also, researchers were interested in capturing the profound implication of these objects in other aspects of daily life, in the diversity of meanings assigned to them. Therefore, the present research aims to emphasize the cultural, artistic and historical importance that the Transylvanian people of the 19 th -20 th centuries assigned to these acoustic instruments. To achieve the goal that we have set we had analyzed a variety of sources: archival, memoirs, monographs, parish reviews, press and church periodicals, oral sources.
Roman Bells in Central Europe: Typologies and Discoveries
Musicarchaeology Vienna - Online Publication 2018_1
The article deals with ancient bells cast in bronze, formed of terra cotta or hammered of iron sheet. It shows an overview of typologies of Egyptian, Grecian and Roman bells. Differences of typologies are demonstrated. The possible origin of three rare bell finds could be determined. To round up acoustical phenomenona are illustrated. Abstrakt: Antike Glocken aus Bronze, gebranntem Ton und Eisen sowie deren gängige Typologien ägyptischer, griechischer und römischer Glockenfunde werden in einem Überblick präsentiert. Dabei werden diverse Unterschiede demonstriert. Drei seltene Glockenfunde, deren Ursprung ermittelt wurden konnte, werden vorgestellt. Akustische Eigenheiten der Glocken bilden den Abschluss des Artikels.
Animal Bells in Early Scandinavian Soundscapes
E. Hickmann, J. Orlamünde and R. Eichmann (eds.), Studies in Music Archaeology VI. Current Challenges and New Objectives in Music Archaeology, pp. 147–153, 2008
The paper discusses Scandinavian animal bells in a context of pre-historical and early historical soundscapes. The term soundscape in this sense refer to a physical sonic environment as well as the ways of perceiving that environment. Bells, like other sound tools, never sound in isolation, in silent landscapes. They interact with and overlap, polyphonically, other humanly organized sounds as well as sounds from wind, water, vegetation and animals. Through investigations of their use and functions, of how they served as makers of time and space, the paper seeks to understand their cultural significance, and demonstrate how these sound marks were meaningsful symbols to people. The bells will be seen primarily as aural cultural artifacts. Animal bells are not uncommon artifacts in Scandinavian excavations. The majority of the archaeological finds are dated to the Viking Age (800–1050 AD). The oldest finds date to the Roman Iron Age (0–400 AD), although it is sometimes difficult to determine the function of excavated bells. The most common material in bells was forged iron, though bronze or other copper alloys were also used. Both pellet bells and open bells are found; forms and shapes vary. Bells are still used in stock-raising in Scandinavia. Sheep, goats, cows, but also horses have used bells. There is a remarkable continuity of traditions around this artifact. What is often referred to as “ethnographical analogy” will be a relevant method in this case. Pastoral bells might be regarded as an important identity mark for shepherds, a kind of archetype sound. If an animal is lost or missing from the flock, the bell could help to locate it. This is the most obvious function of an animal bell, and the most important today. Moreover, animal bells have also protected animals against evil forces, or predatory animals, which were believed to result from evil forces. There are a lot of descriptions of rituals with bells that people performed in order to secure their power, including offering food in them or silencing them on certain occasions or places. It is very likely to suggest a combination of functions; that animal bells were used for magical and ritual purposes, besides the practical functions.
Ancient Bells from Ovilava/Wels – First Studies
Römisches Österreich 45, 2022
So far, 39 bells were found during archaeological excavations and surveys of the ancient settlement areas of the Roman city of Ovilava (Wels) in Upper Austria. The investigations of the bells were carried out within the framework of the research project “Metallic Idiophones between 800 bc and 800 ad in Central Europe” at the Natural History Museum Vienna. The idiophones were analysed concerning their archaeological context, their possible function in the daily life of the population with the aid of ancient written and pictorial sources, their pitches, their psychoacoustic parameters and their metal compositions. The interdisciplinary studies shed a new light on metallic idiophones and add to the knowledge of material culture in the Roman period.