Abstract

AYALA ESPARZA, Mónica; MOLINA-ALARCON, Miguel  and  GALLARDO CARRILLO, Galo Fernando. Sound Heritage and Inclusive Participation: Validation of Multimodal Devices Based on Ecuadorian Pre-Hispanic Whistling Bottles for People with Visual Disabilities. Antipod. Rev. Antropol. Arqueol. [online]. 2025, n.61, pp.101-133.  Epub Nov 13, 2025. ISSN 1900-5407.  https://doi.org/10.7440/antipoda61.2025.05.

Whistling bottles are pre-Columbian ceramic instruments of great artistic, educational, and cultural value. However, their acoustic and symbolic characteristics remain largely inaccessible to people with visual disabilities due to exhibition limitations in museums and archaeological collections. The research that gave rise to this article sought to facilitate sensory and cognitive access to this sound heritage through the design and validation of multimodal devices inspired by Ecuadorian whistling bottles. The methodology unfolded in three phases: (1) documentary and ethnographic research on historical background and Andean worldviews; (2) research-creation and sensory exploration processes focused on the design of the devices; and (3) participatory validation with a group of people with visual disabilities. Each participant took part in an individual workshop that included historical narration, sensory exploration, and the blowing and listening of the sound objects. The workshop concluded with a survey designed to evaluate the procedures and qualities of the multimodal devices. A subsequent focus group was held to deepen the analysis of participants’ perceptions. The study took place at the Faculty of Arts of the Central University of Ecuador (FAUCE) in June 2024. Ethical integrity was ensured through informed consent and explicit authorization for the use of images. The results show that the multimodal devices enable expanded access to sound heritage by activating tactile, auditory, and haptic dimensions simultaneously. Participatory validation revealed that the process of sensory exploration fosters cultural appropriation, creativity, and the production of situated knowledge, although methodological limitations were identified in integrating quantitative and qualitative data. The study concludes that research-creation, when articulated with multimodal methodologies, provides an effective way to promote inclusion in museums and heritage spaces by recognizing the epistemological value of touch and sound beyond the primacy of vision in Western culture. The contribution of this article is significant for its transferability to other museographic and educational design experiences oriented toward functional diversity.

Keywords : Archaeological ceramics; inclusive mediation; multimodal devices; sound heritage; visual disability; whistling bottles..

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