Acoustical measurements in ancient greek and roman theatres

Acoustical measurements were conducted in two ancient theatres–one Greek and one Roman–the origin of modern opera houses and drama theatres. The Delphi theatre (Greece) does not have a stage building, while the Taormina theatre (Italy) has a partially remaining stage building behind the orchestra. The effect of the stage building on the sound field was determined in terms of the temporal and spatial factors of the sound field. It was found that the stage building affects and the magnitude of the interaural cross-correlation function (IACC). In addition to the reflection from the orchestra floor and the stage tower, scattered and reverberant sound from the audience area were observed