Project description
Listening to the legacy of Mesopotamian lutes
As electronic and digital instruments increasingly dominate music, the role of traditional acoustic instruments is often overlooked. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MUSICVIM project seeks to challenge this trend, emphasising that these instruments engage multiple senses beyond hearing. Focusing on Ancient Near Eastern lutes, particularly the tigidla from Mesopotamia, the project examines the cultural and acoustic significance of using black-dyed leather for their resonators. By creating replicas with different leather types and analysing their sound, the project explores the socio-cultural and acoustic impact of these materials. Combining expertise in philology, ethnomusicology, experimental archaeology, and acoustics, MUSICVIM sheds light on ancient musical traditions and the value of sustainable craftsmanship in today’s world.
Objective
At a time when electronic and digital musical instruments are increasingly replacing acoustic musical instruments, this project will show that acoustic instruments are complex objects that have historically appealed to multiple senses beyond hearing, suggesting that they cannot easily be excluded from performance. The case of Ancient Near Eastern lutes will be used to explore this idea. While modern long-necked lutes have a resonator covered with rawhide, the cuneiform texts from the 'Craft Archive' in the Mesopotamian city of Isin during the second millennium BCE specifically describe the use of black-dyed leather to make the cover for the resonator of a tigidla ('lute' in Sumerian). This project will explore the acoustic and socio-cultural implications of this particular fabrication by combining ANE Philological & Material Studies, Ethnomusicology, Experimental Archaeology, and Acoustics, and by bringing together academic and non-academic expertise (tanners, dyers, and instrument makers). Four tigidla replicas with covers of rawhide, black-dyed rawhide, undyed leather, black-dyed leather will be made using the extant ANE evidence. The sound of these replicas will be analysed by considering different textures, playing techniques, and recording spaces. The information from these recordings will be finally used to shed new light on many aspects of musical traditions and societies in the ANE region and beyond. This project will scientifically impact the fields of Musicology, most notably Sound Archaeology, and ANE Studies on economy, society, music, and colour. The value of traditional tanning, dyeing, and instrument-making will also be highlighted. They currently lack guaranteed generational handover but can contribute to the climate emergency, since they use eco-friendly products. Under the guidance of leading sound archaeology expert Rupert Till, the experienced researcher will be trained in tanning, dyeing, instrument making, and sound recording and analysis.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering colors
- humanities arts musicology ethnomusicology
- natural sciences physical sciences acoustics
- humanities history and archaeology archaeology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
HD1 3DH HUDDERSFIELD
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.