Review

Reviewed Work(s):
Studien zur Musikarchäologie. Vol. 1, Saiteninstrumente im archäologischen
Kontext: Vorträge des 8. Symposiums der Study Group on Music: Archaeology (ICTM),
Limassol, 26.-30. August 1996 und andere Beiträge / Stringed Instruments in
Archaeological Context: Papers from the 8th Symposium of the Study Group on Music:
Archaeology (ICTM), Limassol, 26-30 August, 1996 and Other Contributions
by Ellen Hickmann and Ricardo Eichmann;
Studien zur Musikarchäologie. Vol. 2, Musikarchäologie früher Metallzeiten:
Vorträge des 1. Symposiums der International Study Group on Music Archaeology im
Kloster Michaelstein, 18.-24. Mai 1998 / Music Archaeology of Early Metal Ages: Papers
from the 1st Symposium of the International Study Group on Music Archaeology at
Monastery Michaelstein 18-24 May, 1998
by Ellen Hickmann, Ingo Laufs and Ricardo Eichmann
Review by: Thomas J. Mathiesen
Source: American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 106, No. 3 (Jul., 2002), pp. 479-481
Published by: Archaeological Institute of America
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4126291
Accessed: 03-01-2019 14:56 UTC

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 2002] BOOK REVIEWS 479

a stimulating group
Musikarchdologie) might atof first seem papers,
paradoxical. After
lenge and trigger further
all, if archaeology is concerned with the study ofdiscus
objects,
ther exploration while music is, of feasting
of all the arts, the most transitory and in
case studies, some
least material, howpotential
can there be such a thing as an ar- fut
ferred to by the
chaeology ofeditors involve
music? In attempting to explain this appar-
feasting and gender
ent paradox, Ellen Hickmannand feasting
writes in her introduction
that Feasts owes much to the well-established literature to the first volume that music archaeology is "concerned
on gift-giving; the relationship between giving food,
with learning what music and music-making meant to
immediately consumed, and gifts of longer durationearly
couldmusic cultures by directing our attention first to
be developed further. To conclude, the editors have theor-
musical artifacts themselves .... Thus, the approach
chestrated a successful feast, which deserves to be recip-
towards the material remains is always our first step." So it
rocated in due course, and it is likely that the editors
seems that music archaeology is not so much an archaeol-
expect interest on their investment. ogy of music itself (as Hickmann acknowledges: "Yet
CAROL PALMER melodies and rhythms are lost forever [except] in rare
cases") as it is the application of archaeological method
SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANCIENT HISTORY
to specific cultural and anthropological objects of music
UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER
and music-making.
LEICESTER, LE1 7RH We also learn from Hickmann's introduction that mu-
UNITED KINGDOM
sic archaeology is essentially interdisciplinary, "achieved
CP24@LE.AC.UK optimally in cooperation with musicologists, organologists
and archaeologists, using the methods of both [sic]
fields." Of course, a number of individual scholars, begin-
STUDIEN ZUR MUSIKARCHAOLOGIE. Vol. 1, ning especially in the 18th century, independently pur-
sued the study of very ancient musical cultures, but it was
SAITENINSTRUMENTE IM ARCHAOLOGISCHEN
not until the 20th century that scholars began to serious-
KONTEXT: VORTRAGE DES 8. SYMPOSIUMS DER
ly consider the advantages of joining together to form
STUDY GROUP ON MUSIC ARCHAEOLOGY (ICTM),an official Study Group on Music Archaeology (SGMA).
The first steps were taken at the remarkable meeting of
LIMASSOL, 26.-30. AUGUST 1996 UND ANDERE
the International Musicological Society in Berkeley in
BEITRXGE / STRINGED INSTRUMENTS IN ARCHAEO-
1977, which included a roundtable on "Music and Ar-
LOGICAL CONTEXT: PAPERS FROM THE 8TH SYM-
chaeology." A few years later, the study group was formal-
POSIUM OF THE STUDY GROUP ON MUSIC ARCHAE- ly recognized in 1983 by the International Council for
OLOGY (ICTM), LIMASSOL, 26-30 AUGUST, 1996 Traditional Music (in 1997, the SGMA became an inde-
pendent entity). In subsequent years, a series of confer-
AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS, edited by Ellen
ences and published proceedings emerged, full refer-
Hickmann and Ricardo Eichmann. (Deutsches ences to which appear in the bibliography following Hick-
archiologisches Institut, Orient-Abteilung: Ori- mann's introduction (although she certainly does not
ent-Archiologie 6.) Pp. x +145, ills. 166, tables 7. claim credit in her introduction, I might add here that
Marie Leidorf, Rahden 2000. DM 95. ISSN 1434- the organization and success of these conferences owes
much to her vision and energy). Now, as is attested by
162X; ISBN 3-89646-636-4 (cloth). the two volumes under review, the field of music archae-

STUDIEN ZUR MUSIKARCHAOLOGIE. Vol. 2, ology is well established and flourishing (for further gen-
eral information on the field and as preparation for those
MUSIKARCHAOLOGIE FRUiHER METALLZEITEN: readers not familiar with the field, I recommend Hick-
VORTRAGE DES 1. SYMPOSIUMS DER INTERNA-
mann's article "Archaeomusicology" in S. Sadie, ed., New
TIONAL STUDY GROUP ON MUSIC ARCHAEOLOGY Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians 1 [London 2001]
IM KLOSTER MICHAELSTEIN, 18.-24. MAI 1998 /848-54).
MusIc ARCHAEOLOGY OF EARLY METAL AGES: The first volume, Stringed Instruments in Archaeological
Context, contains the papers presented at the eighth sym-
PAPERS FROM THE 1 ST SYMPOSIUM OF THE INTER-
posium of the SGMA held in Limassol (Cyprus) in August
NATIONAL STUDY GROUP ON MUSIC ARCHAEOL- 1996, as well as a few papers from other conferences; the
OGY AT MONASTERY MICHAELSTEIN 18-24 MAY, second volume, Music Archaeology of Early Metal Ages, in-
cludes the papers from the first symposium of the newly
1998, edited by Ellen Hickmann, Ingo Laufs, and
independent International SGMA held at Kloster Michael-
Ricardo Eichmann. (Deutsches archaologisches stein (Blankenburg, Germany) in May 1998. The second
Institut, Orient-Abteilung: Orient-Archiologie volume is dedicated to the memory of Hans Hickmann
7.) Pp. xiv + 404, ills. 239, tables 16, CD-ROM. (1908-1968), a specialist in Egyptian music and, togeth-
er with his teacher Curt Sachs, one of the foremost ar-
Marie Leidorf, Rahden 2000. DM 149.80. ISSN
chaeomusicological pioneers. In addition to the archaeo-
1434-162X; ISBN 3-89646-637-2 (cloth).
logical articles, volume 2 accordingly includes two trib-
The notion of an "archaeology of music" (or "music utes to Hans Hickmann, both of which present not only
archaeology," as equivalent to the German term an overview of the scholar's work, as is usual in pieces of

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 480 BOOK REVIEWS [AJA 106

this sort, but also on the Celtic carnyx: the articles

charming describe the archaeo-
personal ane
logical assembling
ture his warm, witty, andof humane
the fragments and thepersona
ways in which
In a short review,the missing fragments
there is could
nobeway conjecturedto
(Hunter),
pro
examination of some the construction58 separate
of the first replica (Creed), the artic
various
wide range of methodologies ways in which the replica could be applied
played by an experi- to
verse as, for example, enced modern the brass-player (Kenny), and the acoustics
acoustics of ofth
vibrated aerophone the instrument
common (Campbell and MacGillivray).
among the
development of ancient While most of the articles deal with archaeological
Mesopotamian t
music and musical instruments. objects, a few are primarily philological (Delattre on the I
Instead,
vide some sense of fourththe book of presentation
Philodemus's treatise on music, a partic- of
ways in which the ularly problematic treatise
various because it survives only in a
methodologie
the groupings and severely damaged papyrus, the subject of a new recon-
interrelationships of t
the types of conclusions struction by Delattre; drawnand Vassilievaby on musical thetermi- au
The first volume is nologymuchin Pahlavi writings)
more or try to relate the testimo-
narrowly
centrating entirely ny of onliterarystringed
texts to musical objects. A instrum
particularly good
of articles (by Braun, example of this latter approach is A.D.and
Brentjes, Kilmer's "Conti-
Law
trates on the shape, nuity and Change in the Ancient Mesopotamianand
construction, Termi-
angular or bow-shaped nology for Music and Musical Instruments,"
harps; a second which at- (
Meshkeris, Rashid,tempts Seidel, and Vassilieva)
to clarify Sumero-Akkadian terms for particular
generalized family stringed
of instruments,
stringed as well as considering
instrum the names
those plucked with of the
the strings fingertips
themselves and the role of the andoctave in
th
some sort of plectrum theories of ortuning.bow; a third is la
with general representations Some of the articles apply of iconographic
musical evidence to
music-making in rock organological problems(by
art with significant
Dubey-Pat new conclusions.
and Rudolph); a fourth In particular, treats
Psaroudakes' "Thespecific
Arm-CrossbarJunction tec
such as the stringing of the andClassical Hellenic
fretting Kithara" provides of a challenging
Egyp
mann) and an analysis refutation of of the mosttheimportantfamous
modern reconstructions cu
tablet, CBS 10996 (Smith by Roberts, Paquette, and Kilmer).
Maas/Snyder, B6lis, and Lawergren.On
essentially with wind On the other hand, Byrne's "Understanding althou
instruments, the Aulos"
tion is made of the ignores
lute a great deal
and of the scholarship
the harp pertaining to (Klo
the
"Hellenistic Painted Tombs at Marisa"); and one or two aulos, especially where the reed is concerned, and offers
are primarily conceptual (Brentjes's "Musikant, Schamane a number of poorly informed observations about musical
oder Befehlshaber?" and Otte's "Regards sur la musique notation in general, its relationship to the "tuning of
paleolithique"). lyres by rotations around the yoke" and to a certain type
In general, the articles in volume 1 are brief, no doubt of aulos, and the new theory (it is hardly correct to say
reflecting their original role as papers read at a confer- that "it has been concluded") that its conventional pitch
ence. All of them provide fairly detailed descriptions of is too high.
the objects under examination, and the descriptions are Most of the characteristics noted in the first volume

supported by very generous illustrations in the form of apply to the second as well: the articles are brief, pro-
photographs, tracings, tables and graphs, and occasional vide fairly detailed descriptions, and are once again sup-
musical notation. Each article concludes with a useful ported by generous illustrations. Each article concludes
bibliography, and several also include helpful summaries with a bibliography (some more useful than others),
of the material. Most of the articles are in English and some include summaries of the material. The lan-
(11);
three are in German; and one is in French. The prose, guage and style of the articles is less even in this vol-
ume,
with a few exceptions, is primarily descriptive, clear, but this is doubtless because of the fact that the
and
suitably restrained. papers were originally prepared, according to the fore-
The second volume is arranged in eight sectionsword,cor- in 16 different languages, and were then appar-
ently
responding to the seven regions (or "fields," the last twotranslated into German or English, the two lan-
of which are designated VIIa and VIIb) establishedguages
for used in the second volume (translators' names
the symposium: the Far East-Southeast Asia, Centralappear
Asia-in only a few cases, however). According to the
Caucasus, the Near East-Anatolia, Latin America-Africa
editors, "the English and German texts provided by non-
(this group seems rather contrived), Egypt-Aegean, native
Greekwriters required serious revision, and often need-
ed to be completely re-written." The editors also ob-
Antiquity-Rome, Bronze Age-Hallstatt-Celts, and Regional
Developments in Europe. The section devoted to serve
eachthat "lack of acquaintance with recent literature
and research theory . . . existed for many of our col-
of these areas begins with an introductory paper, intend-
ed to summarize the evolution of the technology ofleagues
met- who had been long cut off from the scientific
alworking and its correlation with musical life. Incommunity
some and who were thus not up to date." It is
difficult
cases (Africa and the Far East), a correlation can be con- to know what to make of this observation, un-
less it is intended as an explanation for the fact that
firmed, while in others (Central Asia, Egypt, and Greece
there is a certain unevenness throughout the volumes,
and Rome), the correlation is vague. The best example
of the kind of interdisciplinary cooperation that there
Hick-are some minor typographic and technical errors,
and some of the articles are more scholarly than others.
mann envisioned is surely demonstrated by the articles

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 2002] BOOK REVIEWS 481

Nevertheless, and the presentation

with a of sites. New papers
very fewaddre
are like those inrole ofthe first
cultural tourism volum
in the creation of herit
The second volume also includes a CD-ROM with the tractions and the importance of visitor research i
entire contents of both volumes in individual PDF files,
seum display. What stands out in this revised ed
the new focus on audience and reception in m
linked to two separate PDF files of the table of contents
for each volume (inexplicably, the table of contentsandfor heritage studies.
volume 6 is MUSIKA-2.PDF, while that for volume 7 is As McManus notes in her introduction, the issue of
MUSIKA-1.PDF). In addition, the CD-ROM includes an how archaeologists communicate the results of their work
INFO.TXT file that very briefly explains the contents of to the public is not just a straightforward matter, where
the CD-ROM, according to which the CD-ROM is also the professionals filter their findings down to the "wider
supposed to contain a version of Acrobat Reader for both public." Rather, the practice of presenting the past raises
Windows and MacOS. Unfortunately, the CD-ROM seems all sorts of questions and issues concerning the nature of
to have been created in ISO-9660 (rather than a hybrid) archaeological enquiry itself. Thus it is important to re-
format and as neither version of the files in the ACRO- flect on how our representations serve to structure knowl-
BA~2 directory contains a resource fork, Mac users edge of the past and influence our academic interpreta-
will
need to acquire a copy of Acrobat Reader elsewhere tions.inFor too long the topic of representation has been
order to make use of the CD. With Acrobat Readermarginalized
prop- from intellectual debate and relegated to
the area
erly installed, it is possible to open either of the table of of heritage or public archaeology, which schol-
contents files, and clicking on the title of the article ars naively
or assume has little to contribute to mainstream
the page number will cause the appropriate article discourse.
to
Among
open. The individual PDF files of each article display, of the new contributions are Richard's paper on
course, the articles and accompanying tables and illustra-
cultural tourism and the shift toward more proactive forms
tions exactly as they appear in the printed volumes.of cultural consumption. He argues that it is fundamen-
With
the CD, the reader can easily search the individualtalarti-
for museums to become more aware of the needs of

cles, and to some extent, this takes the place of their an in-visitors in order to compete in the market. This
dex, since none is included in either volume. Neverthe- demands new approaches, such as being more creative in
less, since there is not a single PDF file for each volume, the development of narratives that appeal to the visitor.
it is neither possible to display or to search the entire Furthermore, he notes the need to make room for visi-
volume on the CD; rather, each article must be displayed tors to develop their own interpretations. Similarly, Mac-
or searched individually. donald's chapter on how university museums can adapt to
At the end of her introduction, E. Hickmann remarks, the changing needs of visitors emphasizes the need for
"It is perhaps in this latter subject-the relationship be- more audience research so as to make collections more

tween technological sophistication (or lack thereof), accessible. The research on visitors carried out in her

social structure, and the development of music-that fu-
ture music-archaeological research should direct itself,
for it is a discussion that is far from being concluded."
This is an assessment with which I think no scholar of
music would disagree, but there can also be no question
that these two volumes have contributed much to the
discussion. All of us who seek to understand ancient and
early musical cultures-whether musicologist or archae-
ologist, professional or amateur-will certainly want
have both of these volumes at hand.
THOMAS J. MATHIESEN
CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MUSIC THEORY
AND LITERATURE
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA 47405
MATHIESE@INDIANA.EDU
study reveals the potential of these front-end evalua-
tions for the creation of new displays.
Other papers in the volume worth mentioning are
Pardo's paper on strategies for creating a visitor-friend-
ly site. Although his 12 "guiding principles" are a little
repetitive, there is much of value here; we learn how
important it is to assess not only the intellectual but the
personal impact on the visitor in order to improve the
quality
to of their experience. Specht and MacLulich's
chapter remains an excellent discussion on the impor-
tance of collaboration with communities whose heri-
tage is being presented in museums. As they point ou
the collaborative process must underlie all aspects o
the display design process to produce positive results
the concepts at the heart of the exhibition and the
messages that are given derive then from true dialogu
rather than ad hoc, tokenistic consultation. Finally, San
son's contribution is a sound review of reenactment and

the role it plays in the presentation of sites. Despite

the proliferation of reenactment societies there has
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISPLAYS AND THE been PUBLIC, 2nd discussion about their contribution to
very little
the understanding
ed., edited by PauletteM. McManus. Pp. xvii + 168, of the past, and the complex nature
of their role as interpreters.
pls. 26, figs. 13, tables 4. Archetype, London 2000.
Archaeological Displays and the Public is a useful text for
$37.50. ISBN 1-873132-67-0 (paper). teaching museum studies and archaeological and anthro-
This new edition of Archaeological Displays and
pological the Not only does it convey some of the
courses.
Public reflects the rapidly growing interest in the
recent repre-
thinking on the subject of representing the past,
sentation of the past. The book is useful it in
also the sense
provides useful guidance in the form of strategies
that it conveys new areas of concern in museum display
for improving our presentation methods. My main criti-

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