Ancient builders sited and shaped structures with acoustic intent.

Evidence

The early builders built with ear as well as eye. The exceptional acoustics of the Greek amphitheaters, of which the Asclepius theater at Epidaurus is perhaps the best example, do not prove that acoustics had been totally mastered in ancient Greece, but they do show that a general philosophy of building existed in which acoustic considerations helped determine the form and siting of the structure. In the empty amphitheater at Epidaurus the sound of a pin dropping can be heard distinctly in each of the 14,000 seats—an assertion I have put to the test. — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 721

Categorization

• XREF: Ties to the reader’s framing of the landscape as art — architecture as an acoustic art form. — connects to: Gothic cathedral acoustics shaped the sound of Gregorian chant — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 418; Anthropologists long overlooked the acoustics of ancient environments — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 801; Gothic cathedral acoustics may echo the reverberation of primeval evergreen forests — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 83 (+3 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 721

Broader Connections

• Anthropologists long overlooked the acoustics of ancient environments #corroborates (0.85) — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 801
• Soundscapes can be deliberately orchestrated like musical compositions #expands (0.80) — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 794
• Gothic cathedral acoustics may echo the reverberation of primeval evergreen forests #expands (0.75) — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 83