Schallreflexion

A stone tower stands in the center of a rugged valley, with straight lines drawn from its summit to various points on the surrounding hillsides marked with letters. The diagram uses these lines to map the path of sound as it travels and reflects off geographical features, demonstrating the physics of echoes. The landscape is rendered with fine cross-hatching, featuring small trees and rocky outcrops that serve as the reflecting surfaces.

This engraving illustrates Athanasius Kircher's pioneering work in acoustics, which he viewed as a branch of 'universal harmony' connecting the physical world to mathematical and divine order. His studies in 'phonurgy' sought to uncover the hidden laws of nature through the empirical and mechanical manipulation of sound.