01 Echoes in the Dark
From Matt Thompson | Part of the Noise: A Human History series | 14:38
David Hendy begins his thirty-part series in the prehistoric cave
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What do caves tell us about the mind and beliefs of Neolithic people? With no scientific ‘explanation’ to hand for the phenomenon of the echo, it was natural to assume it was a spirit voice. Certain echoes sounded like the galloping hooves of beasts; others like the fluttering wings of birds. These echoes appeared to come from the rocks themselves, they moved, they were uncanny – all this hinting at a ‘spirit world’ within. Professor David Hendy from the University of Sussex visits the caves of Arcy-sur-Cure in Burgundy with musicologist Iegor Reznikoff to listen to evidence deep underground next to paintings of bisons and birds.
I will be uploading further 29 episodes in the next 14 days.