suggesting a sophisticated auditory design by the Aztecs to evoke specific emotional and cultural associations. The findings support the idea that Aztec skull whistles were intentionally designed ...

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 ...

It is even possible that one of the skull masks represents the defeated king of Tollocan, who is known from historical records. Human sacrifice was a common phenomenon in the Aztec Empire.

Brain scans of modern listeners suggest that Aztec whistles sound like human screams, which may have prepared sacrifice victims for their journey to the underworld. When you purchase through links ...

“Death whistles,” or Aztec skull whistles, were short, carved instruments made of two opposing chambers where air could clash and create a “screeching sound,” according to a Nov. 19 news ...

Recent research of the sounds of ancient Aztec skull-shaped whistles revealed their profound psychoacoustic effects on modern listeners. For the first time, scientists have examined the impact of ...

Numerous examples of Aztec skull whistles have been found in graves dated between 1250 and 1521 CE. Made of clay, these small instruments are typically crafted into the form of a human skull and ...

Aztec “skull whistles” found in ancient gravesites were designed to produce shrieking sounds and instil “otherworldly” fear even in modern people, scientists say. Archaeologists have ...

This article was originally published on Dec. 28, 2020. For many people, the story of the Aztec crystal skulls begins and ends with the least memorable Indiana Jones movie in the storied franchise. To ...