Early Medieval Wind Instruments in England, c. 5th-11th Century

Taylor, Lucy-Anne

Music and the objects that created sound were found throughout Early Medieval society; they were a vital part of life at the time, from use in battle to entertainment and religious worship. Understanding these objects increases our understanding of Early Medieval life, including the soundscapes, daily life, and craftsmanship. Focusing on the archaeological evidence, this book assesses the available sources to form an understanding of horns and trumpets, bagpipes and hornpipes, bone pipes, panpipes and the organ. The author analyses the ways these instruments were constructed and how they looked. Novel re-creations and reconstructions of these instruments allow unique experiments into how far away the instruments may have been heard and increase our understanding of when and how the objects were used.