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 ...

This discovery marked the beginning of a widespread fascination with the so-called “Aztec death whistle.” In the years since, many have attempted to create knockoff copies of this enigmatic ...

The researchers discovered that the death whistle lit up brain regions associated with emotional responses and with identifying symbolic meaning. Aztec communities may therefore have used the ...

which may also be symbolized in the Aztec death whistle. Their skull-shaped body may represent Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec Lord of the Underworld, and the iconic screaming sound may have prepared ...

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 ...

The wail of the Aztec Death Whistle was the last thing many human sacrifices ever heard before they met their untimely end. The chilling noise is described as the 'scariest sound in the world ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...