Sonic Monoliths - Myles Merckel

In Sonic Monoliths, Myles Merckel demonstrates a new pseudo-archaeoacoustic archaeological practice, in which audio is extracted from the Castlerigg stone circle (in Cumbria in the UK), remediated, and then presented to the audience. The work implies that there is a layer of information within noise that is hidden and, thus, must be translated in order for it to be perceived. Myles chose the Castlerigg stone circle because it is one of Britain’s oldest stone circles, dating from around 3000 cal BC, and because it is one of the most well-preserved and atmospheric Neolithic sites in the north of England.

As Myles suggests:

“The intervention at the stone circle highlights the persistent presence of esotericism and unease that lingers at sites like these. There is a collective unknown surrounding the function of ancient Neolithic sites. Traditional archaeology can only uncover the locations and artifacts at a site, and thus it leaves a gap in our knowledge that has driven a universal search, scientific or otherwise, to extract information and patterns at these sites.”

Myles’ practice is a system-based. First, he collects footage from each stone. Next, he broadcasts the footage through a cathode-ray television. The images shown on the screen dictate the volume and pitch of 49 oscillators, each of which extract grayscale data from the footage of the Neolithic stones. The result is a distinctive composite sound. The oscillators generate a singular reactive sound, which Myles then amplifies through a ring of speakers. The audience is left to translate the result.

Sonic Monoliths is heavily inspired by the archaeologist Aaron Watson whose archaeoacoustic studies of Maeshowe and Stonehenge bore the notion that new information can be extracted from Neolithic sites in the form of audio data. Myles work is a reaction to Aaron’s work (see some of Aaron’s work here on art/archaeologies).

Myles’ work at Castlerigg resulted in a film that documents and displays the new experimental practice. You can see the video below. Originally Myles had intended to conduct this study to compare and contrast different audio signals that emerged from the standing stones. Throughout the project, however, the focus shifted to a study of the intervention that Myles and his practice had on the site and of its implications for the audiences’ perceptions of the site.

Myles Merckel is a British artist currently in the ArtScience bachelor's program in The Hague, The Netherlands. His practice consists of appropriating fields of study such as archaeology, architecture, and ecology to build experimental tools and systems. From this practice emerges multi-disciplinary outcome that ranges from films to sculptural installations and audio work. Email: Mylesmerckel@gmail.com.