Scientists have recreated the sound of the Aztec death whistle, considered the world’s most terrifying sound. Researchers are still debating its true purpose.
Scientists have recreated the terrifying sound of the “Aztec death whistle”, which resembles the screams of a dying woman. The original Aztec death whistle was found in 1999 in the hands of a headless skeleton during excavations at an Aztec temple in Mexico City.
The Action Lab, an educational YouTube channel for scientific experiments, has released a video featuring the sound of Aztec death whistles. The sound was reproduced thanks to modern technology. The Action Lab showed how the legendary whistle was reproduced using a 3D printer from the American company HeyGears.
What was it used for?
It is believed that the Aztecs may have used these skull-shaped whistles in sacrificial ceremonies in honor of the wind god Eecatl. The whistle was found in the hand of a headless skeleton. After the excavations in Mexico, archaeologists initially thought it was some kind of toy and did not attach much importance to it.
But about 15 years later, one of the researchers blew into the hole at the top of the skull and then everyone heard a chilling sound. It was a surprising discovery because it sounded like a “human scream”. The exact purpose of the whistle is unknown. But there are several theories.
Mimics the human larynx
Some experts believe that the Aztecs probably used the sound to help the spirits of sacrificed people go to the afterlife. The whistle may also have been used as a defense tool to scare away evil spirits. Another hypothesis is that the whistle was used at the beginning of a war to strike fear into the enemy.
The structure of the Aztec death whistle is shaped to mimic the human larynx. When blown, the air splits into two parts, creating vibrating sounds. The cork balls inside the whistle distort the sound into screams of death agony. Scientists have proven that this blood-curdling invention of a vanished civilization was heard by more than one generation of Aztecs.
