• Profile
• Archaeoacoustics
• Publications

• Introduction
• Avebury
• Stonehenge
• Ring of Brodgar
• Stones of
  Stenness
• Maeshowe
• Dwarfie Stane
• Standing Wave Resonance
• Huntersquoy & Taversoe Tuick
• Stalled Cairns of Orkney
• Easter Aquorthies
• Grey Cairns of Camster

Stones of Stenness

The Stones of Stenness is a henge with an internal stone circle. Of the twelve stones that originally stood, only three survive to their original height. Despite this ruinous state, however, distinctive acoustic effects are present.

The most noticeable effects are echoes created by the standing stones. Like most circles across Britain, the stones were placed with their broad surfaces facing the centre of the circle. This causes sounds generated inside the circle to be reflected back towards the listener, and is most audible when the listener is near to the centre of the circle. In contrast to the larger circle of the Ring of Brodgar nearby, a wide variety of sounds were clearly reflected. Hiigher frequency sounds such as hand-claps and the voice proved to be particularly effective.

When all of the monoliths were standing, the interior of the monument would have been a focus for intense echoes. This is interesting as the centre of the Stones of Stenness is marked by an enormous hearth, suggesting that these unusual sounds were heard by people gathered around the fire. Indeed, any cracking noises made by a blazing fire would themselves have ricochet around the interior.

There was also an acoustic contrast between the inside and the outside. First, sound generated outside the circle does not produce effective echoes from the stones. Likewise a listener positioned around the periphery will not hear the same intensity of echoes as those at the centre. There is evidence to suggest that the entire circle was contained within a bank or wall that further screened visual and acoustic activity within the circle.