Abstract
The MUSE project aims at mapping, studying, and valorizing the musical evidence relating to the civilizations developed in ancient northeastern Italy up to the 7th century C.E. Through the study of the realia, i.e. musical instruments and sounding objects found in the considered area, read and interpreted in the light of other sources, such as written and epigraphic documents and iconographic evidence, the project is meant to outline the sound ecosystems of those places, enhancing their biodiversity, in order to reconstruct the musical and therefore the cultural identities of their ancient inhabitants. MUSE proposes the use of shared methodologies in multi and interdisciplinary perspectives to enhance the indicators of activities related to sound and music in the archaeological record to systematically and extensively introduce the reading of the musical heritage as a constitutive and significant component of the archaeological findings considered. They are part of the musical identity of the peoples they belonged to, only apparently lost, but which is in danger of becoming irremediably meaningless. In line with the UNESCO Conventions for the Legal Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) and Faro (2005, ratified in Italy in 2020), the contextualized and comparative study of these findings allows us to restore their sound and their musical meaning, and to reconstruct, when possible, the ways of fruition and transmission/migration of the ancient musical cultures. MUSE benefits from the dialogue established with the institutions keeping the archaeological findings, superintendencies, museums, which have been already involved in the French-Italian RIMAnt (2018-2025) and the Italian TeMA (2020-2022) projects: the first project is focused on the mapping of musical instruments from the ancient Mediterranean peoples (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans) in Italian and other European collections, through the development of a digital cataloging record; the latter, led by the University of Padua and just completed, aimed at mapping the archaeological findings of musical interest in the Triveneto area. MUSE also foresees the constitution of a prototype of the bank of sounds from the past, conceived as a scientifically controlled repository. It is meant as the result of the sampling of sounds produced by selected sound sources, including the acoustic simulation of fragments of musical instruments 3D scanned and virtually reconstructed. This past sounds bank aims at becoming a reference tool for the museums and institutions attentive to the sound reconstruction of the contexts of excavation of their collections. They are already soliciting musicologists for a musealization of the musical interest findings, allowing the restitution of their full meaning, including sound reproduction. Such an evocative and emotional mediation is able to involve the community of visitors through an experience that is also inclusive concerning, for example, the visually impaired.
Results achieved
A Transdisciplinary Framework for the Study and Valorisation of Ancient Musical Heritage The University of Bologna Research Unit (RU2) developed an innovative transdisciplinary framework for the study, documentation and valorisation of ancient musical heritage, redefining it as an integral component of cultural heritage. Bringing together musicology, archaeology, archaeometry, engineering, computer science and heritage diagnostics, the project established a shared methodological environment in which complementary disciplines converged towards a common research objective. Rather than treating musical heritage as a specialised branch of archaeology, RU2 approached it as a cultural phenomenon capable of illuminating the relationships between material culture, sound, technology and human societies. Coordinated by Professor Donatella Restani, the Research Unit relied on the fundamental contribution of Dr Giovanna Casali, Research Fellow, whose work proved essential throughout the project, from archaeological survey and archival research to musicological interpretation, museum collaboration and the development of interdisciplinary case studies. The research also benefited from the scientific advice and collaboration of Professor Daniela Castaldo (University of Salento), whose expertise further strengthened the interdisciplinary interpretation of ancient musical heritage. The first stage of the research established a regional network of museums preserving artefacts of musical and sonic interest throughout Emilia-Romagna. Following systematic surveys and close collaboration with the competent Superintendencies, museum collections were documented and selected for interdisciplinary investigation. The National Archaeological Museum of Ferrara became the reference museum of RU2, serving as a laboratory for methodological experimentation, interdisciplinary research and public engagement. The collaboration established with museums extended well beyond access to archaeological collections. Museums became active partners in the research process, contributing to the identification, documentation and interpretation of archaeological evidence. At the same time, the project was conceived as a reciprocal process in which research outcomes are returned to participating institutions, providing new digital resources to support exhibition narratives, public engagement and museum accessibility. The integration of archaeological evidence, musicological expertise, archival sources and comparative analysis produced significant scientific results. A total of 140 artefacts of musical interest have been identified, mostly belonging to the Etruscan culture, some of which were found in children’s graves. Several objects previously not recognised as sounding artefacts were identified through musicological reassessment, like some feeders, while others revealed typological and functional relationships with materials from the Veneto region, offering new perspectives on the circulation of technologies, musical practices and cultural interactions in ancient Northern Italy. These findings demonstrated that sounding artefacts represent a much broader category of archaeological evidence, contributing to the reconstruction of communication systems, ritual practices, technological knowledge and social interaction. Within MUSE, sound is therefore understood not simply as an acoustic property of archaeological objects, but as a cultural key for reinterpreting material evidence and reconstructing the relationships between objects, human practices and ancient societies. A major outcome of the project is the Ancient Sounds Bank, the open-access digital repository of the MUSE project, hosted on the project website and coordinated by the Principal Investigator at the University of Padua. Within this shared infrastructure, the University of Bologna Research Unit contributes the digital documentation generated through its research on museum collections in Emilia-Romagna, including validated sound files, high-resolution 3D models, metadata and musicological interpretations of the investigated artefacts. The development of these digital resources relied on continuous collaboration among different disciplines. The Computational Sonology Laboratory of the Department of Information Engineering (DEI), University of Padua, under the scientific leadership of Professor Antonio Rodà, contributed to the conceptual design and computational organisation of the Ancient Sounds Bank. Professor Gabriele Bitelli and Dr Anna Forte (DICAM, University of Bologna) carried out the high-resolution 3D surveying and digital modelling of the archaeological artefacts documented by RU2, ensuring the accurate integration of physical documentation, digital representation and acoustic data. Beyond its research function, the contribution of RU2 to the Ancient Sounds Bank is also intended to benefit the participating museums. The validated sound files, three-dimensional models and associated documentation produced within the project will be returned to the museums to support new exhibition pathways, multimedia installations and inclusive visitor experiences, enabling broader access to the sonic dimension of archaeological heritage. Beyond its scientific achievements, MUSE established a transferable methodology for the study and valorisation of ancient musical heritage. By integrating archaeological research, musicology, engineering, digital technologies and museum practice within a shared framework, the project strengthened collaboration among universities, museums, Superintendencies and technological research laboratories while positioning museums as active partners in knowledge production. Furthermore, during the final phase of the project, this collaborative model was successfully extended beyond Emilia-Romagna through new agreements with museums and heritage institutions, including the Archaeological Superintendency of the Marche. Ultimately, MUSE demonstrates that the investigation of ancient musical heritage extends far beyond the reconstruction of ancient sounds. It offers new ways of understanding how past societies created, experienced and attributed meaning to sound, revealing sounding artefacts as material evidence of cultural identities, technological knowledge, ritual practices and social interaction. By connecting archaeological research, musicological interpretation, digital innovation and museum practice, the project proposes a sustainable and transferable model that contributes not only to the preservation of archaeological heritage but also to an anthropology of musical heritage, in which the sonic dimension becomes a privileged means of understanding the cultural experience of past societies.Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Donatella Restani
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Beni Culturali
Coordinatore:
Università degli Studi di PADOVA(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 77.160,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
17/10/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
