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| European Music Archaeology Project | |
|---|---|
| Name | European Music Archaeology Project |
| Abbreviation | EMAP |
| Formation | 1999 |
| Type | Research consortium |
| Region | Europe |
| Headquarters | Kiel, Germany |
European Music Archaeology Project The European Music Archaeology Project is a multinational research consortium focused on the study, reconstruction, and performance of ancient and historical soundscapes across Europe. It brings together scholars from archaeology, musicology, ethnomusicology, and museum studies to investigate material culture and intangible heritage through reconstructed instruments and staged performances. The project links fieldwork, experimental archaeology, and public engagement to reinterpret finds from prehistoric, Classical, and Medieval contexts.
The consortium unites teams from institutions such as the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, University of York, University of Cambridge, Uppsala University, and the National Museum of Denmark to integrate data from excavations like Star Carr, Varna Necropolis, Hallstatt, Vindolanda, and Nydam Boat finds. EMAP synthesizes evidence from collections including the British Museum, Louvre, Rijksmuseum, Pergamon Museum, and National Archaeological Museum, Athens to address questions posed by studies linked to scholars at Institute of Archaeology, Oxford, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, and École Française d'Athènes.
Founded around projects initiated by researchers associated with Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, European Commission, and national research councils such as the Swedish Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council, the project evolved from collaborations among excavations at Kertch, Tumulus culture sites, and Classical excavations at Pompeii and Delphi. Early workshops involved specialists from the British Library, Royal College of Music, Sächsisches Landesmuseum, and the Finnish National Museum, alongside curators from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli and archaeologists linked to the British School at Rome.
EMAP applies interdisciplinary methods drawn from teams affiliated with Institute of Archaeology, University College London, Department of Music, King's College London, Copenhagen University, and laboratories at the Natural History Museum, London. Researchers employ typological comparisons using artifacts catalogued in the Ashmolean Museum, metallurgical analyses from facilities such as the Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong and radiocarbon dating at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit. Acoustic experiments draw on expertise from the Royal Holloway, University of London, computing resources at European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, and auralization practices used by groups associated with ICOMOS and Europa Nostra.
Reconstructions replicate instruments attested in sources tied to Mycenae, Minoan civilization, Etruria, Celtiberia, and Vikings by combining techniques used in workshops at the British Museum Conservation Department, luthier traditions from Cremona, and metalworking methods documented at the Völsunga saga study centers. Recreated items include lyres reminiscent of finds from Petersburg hoard, horns similar to those in the Gokstad ship, bone flutes comparable to specimens from Geissenklösterle, and reed instruments inspired by depictions in the Tomb of Tutankhamun, with conservation protocols influenced by the ICOM and ICOM-CC guidelines.
Performances have been staged in venues such as the Kiel Opera House, Royal Albert Hall satellite events, archaeological parks like Parco Archeologico di Pompei, and festival settings including Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, and Berlin Festival of Archaeology. Collaborating ensembles include musicians trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, Royal Academy of Music, and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, producing recordings released in partnership with labels similar to Naxos, Deutsche Grammophon, and archival series from the British Library Sound Archive.
EMAP conducts workshops for students and teachers from institutions like the University of Edinburgh, Sorbonne Nouvelle, and the Helsinki Conservatory, organizes exhibitions with partners such as the National Museum of Ireland and the Museo Nazionale Romano, and provides learning materials for programs at UNESCO World Heritage sites and cultural festivals tied to the European Heritage Days initiative. Public lectures feature contributors from the Society for American Music and panels convened under auspices of organizations such as the European Association of Archaeologists and the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
Funding and partnerships have involved grant awards from the European Union Horizon 2020, project-specific support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, fellowships through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and sponsorship by national bodies like the Norwegian Research Council, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, and the Dutch Research Council. Collaborative networks include museums such as the Museo Egizio, universities including Leiden University and Trinity College Dublin, and research centers like the Centre for Textile Research and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Category:Music archaeology Category:Experimental archaeology Category:European research projects