ANCIENT Aztec 'death whistles' have a strange 'uncanny valley'-style effect on the human brain, new research has found. These clay instruments were often shaped like human skulls, and are known for ...

The skull-shaped body of the Aztec death whistle may represent Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec Lord of the Underworld. Credit: Sascha Frühholz / UZH The so-called Aztec “death whistle” is an instrument ...

When the Aztecs dominated central Mexico, a blood-curdling sound like a human scream played through a small whistle. Luis Aceves via Unsplash In cultures around the world, instruments have brought ...

Since ancient times, rituals using various musical instruments have been performed around the world, but the Aztec flute, which imitates a skull, has a tone that stands out from the rest. In an ...

The findings support the hypothesis that such whistles may have been used in Aztec religious rituals or perhaps as mythological symbols. Click to expand... Or, given the fear it inflicts on those who ...