spectral sonification of stellar light and a pigment [sun, red ferric oxide]

This work juxtaposes two synthesized soundscapes derived from the spectral distributions of sunlight and bengala, a pigment characteristic of Hokkaido’s ancient culture. Each spectrum is mapped onto a sound spectrum and synthesized according to its spectral distribution. By engaging perception beyond vision, the work explores alternative ways of sensing these two forms of light. In Hokkaido, bengala is known to have been spread on the bottoms of pit graves during the Jōmon period. This work is based on fieldwork conducted on the Yufutsu Plain, extending south from the Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles (*1), focusing on bengala as a pigment associated with funerary practices. Research has shown that the bengala used in prehistoric Hokkaido was produced by firing deposits formed through the activity of iron-oxidizing bacteria. During the fieldwork, these deposits were located, collected, and fired to produce bengala. Unlike the standardized reds emitted by LCD, LED, and OLED displays, the resulting pigment exhibits unique variations in color that reflect the properties of its raw materials and the conditions under which it was fired. Additional field recordings were conducted in the same area using a 288-channel spectral sensor and a 360-degree camera, continuously logging data from sunrise to sunset. Using GPS data and the calculated position of the Sun derived from astronomical software libraries, the 360-degree imagery was reprojected into an azimuthal equidistant projection centered on the Sun and desaturated. The sound synthesized from the recorded solar spectrum is presented alongside the physical bengala produced during the fieldwork and the sound synthesized from its spectral distribution. (*1) In 2021, the Jōmon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles are one of the component sites..