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Herculaneum, a Roman town near Naples, was buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Excavations have revealed musical instruments linked to the Bacchantes, followers of Bacchus, the god of revelry. These artifacts, housed in the Portici museum in Italy, include aulos, lyres, harps, small cymbals, and a peculiar instrument -- a round ring having smaller jingling rings attached. 

Triangles are seen in iconography shaped as triangles, trapezoids, and stirrups.  So then, might the circular-shaped instrument of Herculaneum, with its jingling rings be considered a type of musical triangle?  The musical context supports the idea, yet the timeframe does not.

The images in this collection are mostly from 18th and 19th century engravings from encyclopedias.  Encyclopedias at this time sought to compile and organize knowledge across various disciplines, serving to democratize learning, making information accessible to a wider audience beyond the academic and aristocratic circles.

I hope you find the exhibit interesting and valuable.

- Mark Berry, curator