Pellet bells and bells from the Avar Period in the Hungarian National Museum

The Great Migration Period collection of the Hungarian National Museum houses more than 67 pellet bells and bells from the Avar Period, which are part of the research project ‘Metallic Idiophones between 800 BC and 800 AD in Central Europe’. They originate from 17 archaeological sites. The idiophones are presented within their find context and classified into types. Chemical analyses were carried out non-destructively by using a handheld XRF. The sounds of the original objects were recorded and analysed about their frequency ranges and psychoacoustic parameters. Several suggestions of the idiophones function complete the article. Ten textiles were analysed on the pellet bells, revealing some information on possible pieces of clothing and the positioning in the burial