Interdisciplinary seminar | 02 July 2026

Archaeoacoustics is an interdisciplinary field in which archaeological and historical questions are explored through acoustic methods. This talk focuses on both indoor and outdoor archaeoacoustic research, introducing the main methods, challenges, and interpretive possibilities for studying medieval soundscapes.

The first part presents examples from medieval Orthodox churches in Serbia, showing how acoustic measurements can help us understand the sonic character of sacred interiors and the relationship between architecture, ritual, and listening. The second part turns from interiors to landscapes, focusing on medieval church bells and the propagation of their sound. Bells were not only liturgical instruments but also powerful sound sources that structured communication, orientation, and community life across space. Through examples of acoustic measurement, spectral analysis, and GIS-based sound propagation modelling, the talk discusses how researchers can estimate where bells may have been audible and how auditory connections between churches and settlements can be reconstructed.

By bringing together archaeology, architectural history, acoustics, and spatial analysis, the talk opens the floor for discussion on how the study of historical soundscapes can integrate acoustic methods with living cultural practices.

Zorana Đorđević has a unique blend of expertise in architecture, archaeoacoustics, and the history and philosophy of natural sciences and technology. She earned her MA in Architecture in 2008 and her PhD in 2016, both from the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Her research passion lies in uncovering the historical interplay between sound and sacred sites in medieval Europe, with a particular focus on the archaeoacoustic exploration of medieval churches and monastic landscapes.

She was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) postdoctoral fellow at the University of Barcelona, Spain, where she led the innovative project Aural Culture: Decoding the Sacred Soundscapes of Medieval Europe (CULT-AURAL). For a deeper dive into her work and publications, visit her profiles on ORCID and Research Gate.