Echo in the pyramids of the ancient Maya

2005/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Fisika
• Giza zientziak

Some buildings of the Mayan civilization have surprising acoustic characteristics. On the stairs of the El Castillo pyramid, for example, the echo mimics natural sounds. Applause makes birds or the sound of raindrops heard.

A Californian engineer realized this in 1998, and now there are Belgian researchers who want to know if the builders of these pyramids caused an intentional effect. Despite the impossibility of demonstrating it, Belgian scientists believe that it is not possible to predict this design, since the impact is not always the same. On the contrary, it depends on the sound that is emitted against the stone.