Human sacrifice was a major part of their worship of various deities who represented different animals, aspects of nature, or ...

“Their skull-shaped body may represent Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec Lord of the Underworld, and the iconic screaming sound may have prepared human sacrifices for their mythological descent into ...

Based on these observations, researchers say the skull whistles were likely used to scare the human sacrifice or the ceremonial audience. “Aztec communities might have capitalised on the scary ...

During ritual ceremonies, the ancient Aztec civilization used a “death whistle” — a haunting instrument shaped like a human skull. Its eerie, high-pitched scream is not just a product of its unique ...

the Aztec god of the sun, war and human sacrifice. Archaeologists have no doubt it is one of the racks, or tzompantli, described by soldier Andres de Tapia, who accompanied Hernan Cortes in the ...

“Aztec communities might have capitalised on the scary and scream-like nature of skull whistles,” they say, adding that ritual use of the whistles during human sacrifice was more likely than ...