This subfield deals with the visual representation of music and musicians in ancient art and literature.
Music notation: The written system of music symbols used to convey musical information.
Musical instruments: The different types of instruments used in ancient music.
Music and religion: The connection between music and religious practices in ancient times.
Iconography: The study and interpretation of visual symbols and images related to music in ancient art.
Music theory: The systems of gaining understanding of musical processes and structures.
Musical genres: The different types of music popular in ancient times.
Music performance: How music was performed and the role of musicians in ancient societies.
Music and society: The importance of music in ancient cultures and societies.
Musical traditions: The influence of ancient musical traditions on contemporary music.
Music and literature: The representation of music in ancient literature and poetry.
Instruments: This type of music iconography represents various musical instruments such as lyres, harps, pipes, and tambourines. The representation of specific instruments is frequently related to the particular gods or myths to which they are linked.
Musical Performances: This type of music iconography represents the playing of musical instruments or singers. It can also represent the dancers and performers that often accompanied musical performances.
Mythological Figures: This type of music iconography depicts musical scenes that relate to mythological figures, such as Orpheus, Apollo, and the Muses.
Musical Notation: This type of music iconography represents the earliest forms of musical notation, such as the use of symbols to represent notes or the positioning of notes on a page.
Musical Competition: This type of music iconography represents musical competitions, such as the playing of musical instruments or the singing of songs, which were a common form of entertainment in ancient times.
Musical Activism: A subset of musical iconography, this type displays the use of music in political or cultural activism. It includes the portrayal of individuals singing, dancing or performing music in demonstrations, protests or cultural events. The famous example is the famous Libyan icon which depicted Stradivarius awning the bare streets with his violin music in a symphonic peace march on a Libya civil war.