Audio Technology in Secular Byzantine-Muslim Environments in Texts and Illustrated Manuscripts of the 10th–12th Centuries

The aim of this paper is to shed light on sound as a cross-cultural factor on the basis of exchanges, both in peace and war, between the Byzantines and Muslim Arabs. It examines technical knowledge and expertise in sound management in secular Byzantine and Muslim settings, both civilian and military, from the 10th to the 12th centuries. We focus on various matters, namely, the physics of sound, acoustics, materials used, on the manufacturing and functioning of musical instruments, on alarm systems in camps and on immersive acoustic experiences. We compare the evidence provided by Byzantine and Arab texts in order to reveal aspects of the transmission and interaction of the technology of sound in the Eastern Mediterranean. This evidence includes historiographical material, military manuals, diplomatic reports, treatises on music theory, lexicographical references, and illustrated manuscripts. A study of how these two medieval cultures perceived sound thus shows that sound functions as one index of history.