Since 1995 I have collaborated with acousticians Dr David Keating and Dr John Was to study the acoustic properties of stone circles, passage tombs, and carved chambers across Britain and Ireland. Despite their architectural differences, many of these monuments produce striking sound effects like echoes that interact with visitors, resonances that alter voices, and distinguish insiders from outsiders.

These effects can still be heard and measured today, but my deeper aim is to understand how sound may have contributed to the monuments’ original meaning. In the Neolithic, sound could shape gatherings, created a sense of spectacle or secrecy, and perhaps even influenced altered states of consciousness.

‘Archaeo-optics’ is a research collaboration between me, Ronnie Scott, and Matt Gatton. It explores how people in the past may have manipulated, experienced, and understood the effects created by light.

Since 2012 I have conducted experimental fieldwork at numerous Neolithic chambered monuments, revealing that these spaces can generate moving, colourful optical projections reminiscent of cinematography.

A remarkable variety of dynamic effects have been observed and, where possible, recorded: beams of light, blazing orbs, spectral figures, and luminous animated images of landscapes and people.