Briefing: Did the ancient Greeks know acoustics better? Available to Purchase

For tourists visiting excavated ancient Greek or Roman sites, the extraordinary speech intelligibility experienced in an (unroofed) amphitheatre – no matter how little is preserved of its original structure and outfit – is always a highlight. The article argues that the Greeks and Romans did indeed know more about acoustics without the theoretical background we have today. This knowledge has obviously been lost over the centuries, despite the powerful computer simulation tools now available to any ambitious acoustician. It is suggested that acoustic textbooks and standards be revised as far as recommended reverberation times and spectra are concerned.