Editorial-Telestes 2021

Abstract

This editorial marks the launch of « Telestes », an international journal designed to bridge the gap between traditional music archaeology and contemporary perspectives in performance, sensory, and material studies. By shifting the focus from textual sources to the archaeological context of musical and dance evidence, the journal promotes an interdisciplinary approach—incorporating archaeoacoustics, digital heritage, and anthropology. This inaugural issue showcases a global and chronological breadth, featuring studies on prehistoric rock art, the soundscapes of Athenian festivals, the organology of the "Apulian cithara", and children's sonic toys. Through this diverse range of research, « Telestes » aims to reconstruct the social and ritual meanings of ancient performance, treating sound not merely as accompaniment but as a fundamental structure of human experience.