a soundscape of aquae sulis
multichannel composition, 2026
20 minutes, looped
Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri USA
A Soundscape of Aquae Sulis. Commissioned by the Saint Louis Art Museum USA for Ancient Splendor: Roman Art in the Time of Trajan.
Curated by Lucrezia Ungaro, archaeological curator of the city of Rome, this major exhibition brings together objects - most of which have never before left Italy - sourced from the collections of the Vatican, Ostia Antica, the National Roman Museum, and the Naples National Archaeological Museum.
The soundscape mixes recordings made both below and above the water at the Roman Baths, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Bath, England. Using a combination of hydrophones and ambient microphones, it follows a subterranean journey from the source of the geothermal hot spring, dedicated in ancient Roman times to the goddess Sulis Minerva. Complex sound tapestries interweave meteorological activity, contemporary infrastructure, and spectral frequencies from around the site. Together these sounds disrupt the boundary between earth and water, past and present.
Enjoy a moment of otium, or leisure, with the sounds of ancient Roman baths.
The soundscape uses field recordings sourced from A Sound Map of the Roman Baths, an Archaeology of the Ear production created in partnership with the Roman Baths, the University of Gloucestershire, the Sound/Image Research Centre, and Resonance FM.