“Death whistles,” or Aztec skull whistles, were short, carved instruments made of two opposing chambers where air could clash ...

It sounds like a scream from the depths of the underworld. It’s a haunting, ear-piercing shriek that stirs something primal ...

We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? The Aztec death whistle is a mesoamerican instrument designed to imitate a human scream, and was often used during battle or at ...

Archaeologists have discovered numerous ceramic or clay whistles at Aztec sites, dubbed "death whistles" because of their distinctive skull shapes. A new paper published in the journal ...

These ceremonies included visual and sonic iconographic elements of mythological deities of the Aztec underworld, which may also be symbolized in the Aztec death whistle. Their skull-shaped body ...

Swiss and Norwegian neuroscientists have discovered that the ancient Aztec death whistle — often credited with emitting the scariest sound on earth — still terrifies people today due to a ...

But in the forests of central Mexico, a single note from an Aztec whistle didn’t always indicate celebration — it meant death. “Death whistles,” or Aztec skull whistles, were short ...

The Aztec death whistle is a mesoamerican instrument designed to imitate a human scream, and was often used during battle or at sacrificial ceremonies. Researchers from the University of Zurich ...