15th International Congress on Sound and Vibration

6-10 July 2008, Daejeon, Korea

ACOUSTICS PHENOMENA IN CHICHEN ITZA: NEW

ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECTION AND DIFFRACTION -
SCATTERING CONSIDERATIONS IN ACOUSTICAL MODELS.
Jorge Antonio Cruz Calleja1
1
Department of Acoustics, Instituto Politécnico Nacional,
Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica UC
México, D.F.
jorgeacruzc@hotmail.com

Abstract

Diverse models have been proposed to explain the acoustic diffraction present in the front of the
staircase of the pyramid of Kukulcan (in Chichen Itza). New experiments, demonstrates the
existence of other factors that affects the echo, as well as the partial validity of the existing
models, settling down limits and adjustments for such. By other side the evidence of glide
repetition pitch in the Great Ball Court, and the sound reinforcement of the voice are being
investigate. In this paper the diffraction effect are exposed to explain this acoustic phenomenon,
using computational models and in situ experiments to verify them.

1. INTRODUCTION
A handclap in front of the stairs of the pyramid of Kukulcan (in Chichen Itza), generates a chirp
echo, that does not correspond exactly to the sound of the handclap. This fact has been known
for a long time and called the attention of the Californian David Lubman, which reached the
conclusion that the echo was generated by Bragg diffraction of the sound waves. David
Lubman concluded that the lines of diffraction could be observed in the sound spectra of the
generated echo.
In 2004, Nico Declercq made an analysis and more complicated mathematical simulation,
based on the monofrequent single homogeneous plane wave diffraction theory of Claeys. This
analysis contribute new information about the phenomenon; some new generated hypotheses
are the dependency of the echo generated with the type of sonorous source used to generates
the echo, and the influence of the reflected signal in the ground in front of the staircase.
Recently Van Bilsen created a model based on the repetition pitch glide theory.
New investigations made by the author realized from 2004 to 2008, have allowed verify
in a theoretical and experimental way these new hypotheses. It is important to mention that the
phenomenon appears in other pre-Columbian sites, like Teotihuacan, Uxmal, and Palenque.
Therefore is difficult to answer if the phenomenon of the chirp echo was created by intention of
the constructors of the pyramids, or simply is an accidental fact.

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2. THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT

To establish the equations that allows to analyze the echo in the staircase of Kukulcan pyramid,
will be analyzed the possible paths of the sound.
Declercq1 indicates the possible trajectories that can cross the sound to be received by the
observer in the position indicated in figure 1.
1.The sound that travels directly to the pyramid and is received directly.
2.The sound that travels directly to the pyramid and is received after to have reflected in the
ground.
3.The sound that is reflected in the ground before traveling to the pyramid and that is
received directly.
4.The sound that has been reflected in the ground before traveling to the pyramid and that is
received after to have reflected in the same one.
Using a modification of the Bilsen’s equations, the function that allows to calculate the
correct trajectories S(n), that originates the reflected rays in the staircase for the consideration
number one.

Figure 1. Description of the pyramid staircase and sound paths.

The distance to the sound source is d= 10m and its h= 1,8m. To calculate the path S(n) ,
we use the next expression:
S(n )  x2  y 2
(1)
The general expression that allows calculate the path S(n) is:

S (n )  d  n  q 2  (((n  1)  q)  h)2 (2)

In this equation, n is the initial step and its first value is cero.

3. GENERAL EQUATION FOR THE FREQUENCY CALCULUS.

Beristain3 went ahead to Bilsen4, he had found the existing relation between the change of
frequency observed in the originated echo in a periodic structure (the staircase of the pyramid of
Quetzaloatl in Teotihuacan) and the increase between the whole range by the reflected rays (he
named it "stepped landslide"). In fact, this model is very similar to the Bilsen’s model, but
Beristain needed to take the final step, the calculation of this variation of frequencies by means

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of a mathematical expression.
The mathematical equation that allows calculating the present frequencies in this
landslide is deduced in the following form:
c
f ( n)  m 
2  d  (n  1)  q)  ((n  2)  q)  h)
2 2
 d  n  q) 2  ((n  1)  q)  h) 2  (3)
Being m the harmonic number.
If c=343 the resultant expression is:
171.5
f ( n)  m 
 d  (n  1)  q) 2
 ((n  2)  q)  h) 2  d  n  q) 2  ((n  1)  q)  h) 2  (4)

4. THE INFLUENCE OF THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THE STAIRS.

The ground in front of the staircase allows a part of the sonorous signal be reflected toward the
staircase. The angle  that would allow a ray reflected in the ground goes to the last step of the
staircase can be calculated with the following expression:

Figure 2. Description of the ground reflected sound paths.

 max  arctan
H  h  (5)
D  d 
For smaller angles max the sound wave is reflected in the direction of the staircase.
h
x1  (6)
tan 
The trajectory for a ray reflected in the ground and reflection in a step "n" is given by:
x
S r ( n)  (7)
cos 
And for a given reflection
((n  1)  q )  h
  arctan (8)
(n  q)  d
Then

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(n  q)  d
S r ( n)  (9)
 ((n  1)  q )  h 
cos arctan
 (n  q )  d 
In order to calculate the trajectories that fulfill the conditions of point 2 and 3 we have:
(n  q )  d (n  q)  d
S r ( n)   (10)
 ((n  1)  q )  h   ((n  1)  q)  h 
cos arctan  cos arctan 
 (n  q )  d   (n  q)  d 

c
f (n)  m 
 
 
 (( n  1)  q )  d (( n  1)  q )  d 

  (( n  2 )  q )  h   (( n  2 )  q )  h  
 cos  arctan  cos  arctan  
  (n  q )  d   (n  q)  d  
 
 
 (n  q)  d (n  q)  d 

  (( n  1)  q )  h   (( n  1)  q )  h  
 cos  arctan cos  arctan  (11)
  ( n  q )  d   ( n  q )  d  

For the conditions established in point 4:

( n  q)  d
S r ( n)  2  (12)
 ((n  1)  q)  h 
cos arctan 
 (n  q)  d 

c (13)
f ( n)  m 
 
 
((n  1)  q)  d ( n  q)  d
2  
  ((n  2)  q)  h   ((n  1)  q)  h  
 cos arctan  cos arctan 
  ((n  1)  q)  d   ( n  q)  d  

5. PARAMETERS INVOLVED IN THE ECHO FORMATION.

The chirp echo is caused by the combination of the diffraction, dispersion and reflection effects
of the sound.
If we consider the steps like a line array of radiating sources (the produced reflections),
the minimum frequency that can be diffracted by the staircase in function of the dimensions of
the steps is given by:
c
fd  (14)
2D
Being
D= distance between the centre of two steps

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The limits for the diffracted waves are given by:

2c c
 fd  (15)
q 2D
The limit for the specular reflected waves is given by:
2c
fs  (16)
q
Being
q= surface periodicity
c= sound velocity
For smaller fd frequencies the waves are added in coherent form and the diffraction is not
absolutely possible, because the wavelength of the involved frequencies is great that a landslide
in a small distance, it’s due to this cause that it’s not possible its cancellation by destructive
interference, being the produced reflection similar to the produced by a flat surface.
In high frequencies, in which the involved wavelength is small in comparison with the
dimensions of the step, the reflections produced are speculars, reason why the sound waves are
governed by the laws of the geometric acoustics. In addition to which the high frequencies
suffer attenuation due to the air absorption.
The sound used to produce the echo must be an impulse with smaller duration to c/2d,
being d the distance of the sound source to the first step and c the sound velocity. For our case
the maximum duration of the impulse will have to be 59ms. This condition avoids an
interaction between the incident wave and the reflected wave, and allows to receive the
sequence of originated reflections on the steps with its respective delay of time, in such a way it
can be formed and be caught the sliding of frequencies. If the used sound have greater or
outside continuous, there would be an interaction between the incident wave and the reflected
wave, which would prevent to notice the landslide in frequency and the space filter effect
caused by the diffraction of the waves in the staircase.

Figure 3. Sonogram of 400 Hz pulse generated in front of the staircase and produced echo. It is possible
to observe the sound source and time dependence. In the circle the echo signal zoomed.

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Figure 4. Diverse parameters involved in the echo formation considering the sound source, the
periodic surface and the medium of transmission.

6. NUMERICAL RESULTS

The frequency limits for the diffracted and specular reflections can be verified using real recordings
and other simulations. The lower frequency limit for the diffracted waves is calculated using the
equation (15), the frequency has to be bigger than 461Hz to be diffracted; the upper limit is
calculated by the same equation and its value for this case is 2608Hz. A wave with upper frequency
cannot be diffracted at all. In the figure 5 it is possible to observe these frequency limits.

Figure 5. Sonogram of real chirp echo. The frequency limits are present in the real echo.
The resulting echo of the diffraction process is function of the distance and height to
which the impulse is emitted. The position of the sonorous source influences in the S(n)

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trajectories and therefore in the diffraction frequencies.

Figure 6. Diffraction curves for two values of h. (m=1, d=10)

Using the mathematical model the calculation for a distance of 91m computes an arrival
time of 530ms and echo duration of 151ms. The real recording evidences an arrival time of
534ms and echo duration of 156ms approximately (see the figure 7).
A recording in situ shows that the echo duration of an impulse generated to 19 meters is
approximately 170ms and takes to arrive 113ms, in comparison to 171.8 ms and a time of
arrival of 110ms in calculation. In figure 7 we can observe the calculated sonogram and the one
belonging to the real recording, it is possible to observe that the calculated curves and the real
ones are very similar.

Calculus

Figure 7. Diffraction curves for a long distance. Calculus and real sounds sonograms. In both the
diffraction lines are flattest.
The effect produced by reflections can be verified in a theoretical and experimental form.
The Reflections in the ground contribute in the formation of the echo and produce similar
curves of diffraction to the generated for the direct waves. This could explain why the
diffraction curves in sonograms of the real sound, do not appear like thin lines, if not that have a
determined thickness. The ground in front of the staircase and the possible values for the z axis
cause the diffraction curves which are present in sonograms of the real sounds.

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Figure 8. To the left the calculated diffraction curves with ground and z axis effect and to the right the
real echo diffraction curves (for d=19m).

6. CONCLUSIONS
The influence of the ground in front of the staircase in the behavior of the echo has been
analyzed and that way also the influence of the position of the sound source and the kind of used
impulse to form the echo, his maximum duration doesn’t have to provoke interaction between
the reflected sound and the direct signal. Using adequate mathematical models, and considering
the limits for the diffraction of waves in periodic surfaces, it is possible to calculate the curves
of diffraction for the echo generated in the staircase of Kukulcan's pyramid and other
rectangular periodic surfaces. The calculated values are proximate to the real ones.

REFERENCES
[1] Declercq Nico F., “A theoretical study of special acoustic effects caused by the staircase of the El
Castillo pyramid at the Maya ruins of Chichen-Itza in Mexico”, Journal of the Acoustical Society
of America 116(6), 3328 -3335 (2004).
[2] Cruz C. Jorge A., “Acoustic phenomena in archaeological zones in Mexico”, 19th International
Congress on Acoustics, Madrid, España, 2-7 September 2007.
[3] Sergio Beristaín, Cecilia Coss, Gabriela Aquino, and Jose Negrete, “Tonal response on the
stairway of the main pyramid at La Ciudela, Teotihuacan archaeological site”, Journal of the
Acoustical Society of America 112, 2285 (2002).
[4] Frans A. Bilsen, “Repetition Pitch glide from the step pyramid at Chichen Itza”, Journal of the
Acoustical Society of America 120(2), 594 -596 (2006).
[5] Tsingos, Nicolas; Lefebvre, Sylvain; Dachsbacher, Carsten; Dellepiane, Matteo, “Extending
geometrical acoustics to highly detailed architectural environments”, 19th International
Congress on Acoustics, Madrid, España, 2-7 September 2007.