Archaeologists have relied almost exclusively upon sight among the five human senses to investigate architecture, features, and artifacts. In recent decades researchers have explored how ancient people may have experienced sound, because it was an essential component of lived experiences in ancient societies. Natural and culturally constructed spaces had acoustical properties that enhanced social, political, economic, and ritual events. This article investigates through the lens of archaeoacoustics the large domed earthen temazcal that residents constructed at Joya de Cerén during the seventh century a.d. Its uniqueness at this Classic-period Maya village in El Salvador has attracted considerable interest due to its exceptional preservation and distinct shape. Fortunately, in 2012, architects were able to construct a precise replica for public access. Through the years, visitors entering the replica have noted how significantly their voices were altered, once inside. To evaluate scientifically these observations, two recordings of sound were made and analyzed acoustically. The earthen dome morphology causes “preferred frequencies” to be sustained for a long time, while nonfavored frequencies diminish quickly. The predominant resonance is at 64 hertz, a tone so low that basso profundo singers can barely achieve it. The internal morphology greatly accentuates voices of mature males, but not those with higher pitches, such as mature females or children. The acoustical environment may have been utilized by men for divination, education, curing, rites of passage, and other functions, some of which have not been previously considered. The nature of the lived experience in a socially charged performance space is explored here with new insights regarding how the sweatbath was vital to all in the community.

考古学家几乎完全依靠人类五种感官中的视觉来研究建筑、特征和文物。近几十年来，研究人员探索了古代人如何体验声音，因为它是古代社会生活体验的重要组成部分。自然和文化构建的空间具有增强社会、政治、经济和仪式活动的声学特性。本文通过考古声学研究了公元七世纪居民在 Joya de Cerén 建造的大型圆顶土制temazcal由于其独特的保存和独特的形状，它在萨尔瓦多这个经典时期的玛雅村庄的独特性引起了相当大的兴趣。幸运的是，在 2012 年，建筑师能够构建一个精确的复制品供公众访问。多年来，进入复制品的游客已经注意到，一旦进入，他们的声音就发生了巨大的变化。为了科学地评估这些观察结果，我们制作了两次声音录音并进行了声学分析。土穹顶形态导致“首选频率”持续很长时间，而非首选频率迅速减少。主要的共振频率为 64 赫兹，这种音调低得足以使低音深沉歌手勉强可以做到。内部形态极大地突出了成熟男性的声音，而不是那些音高较高的声音，例如成熟的女性或儿童。声学环境可能已被男性用于占卜、教育、治疗、通过仪式和其他功能，其中一些以前没有考虑过。这里探讨了在充满社会气息的表演空间中生活体验的本质，并以关于汗水浴对社区中所有人的重要性的新见解进行了探索。