The bell of Abbot Samson of Cordoba (10th century): a unique vestige of the soundscape of early medieval Latin Christianity

Abstract

In order to understand the sonic behaviour of the Abbot Samson's bell (10th century), a methodology has been established that combines theoretical and quantitative assumptions from the social and physical sciences. It has been carried out using a multidisciplinary combination based mainly on the archaeology of the senses, archaeo-musicology, and acoustic and vibrational theory. The cultural contextualisation of the bell has made it possible to confirm the uniqueness of the piece and its value as a unique case in the European environment prior to the year 1000. An acoustic measurement session in the Archaeological Museum of Cordoba has made it possible to approximate the current sonority of the bell. The audio signal obtained was subjected to various processes from which valuable data were extracted for its sonic characterisation. The acoustic analysis revealed the high brightness, roughness, inharmonicity and fundamental frequency of the sound, characterised by its intensity in a frequency range between 3000 Hz and 5000 Hz. Its timbrical characteristics are far removed from the usual values of later church bells, from the 18th century onwards, which have shaped the sonic imaginary of bells.