Clay whistles, made in the shape of human skulls and made in the shape of a human skull during the Aztec period, can affect the human mind, create anxiety and increase fear, researchers have found. Even the two scientists who were the first to do it were so scared that they cried and swore they would never blow into it again.
Oku.Azaccording to the information provided by the article published in the magazine “Communication Psychology”.
The strong winds of the “Aztec underworld.”
Created by the indigenous people of modern-day Mexico, the artifact was first discovered in 1999 by archaeologists excavating the Temple of Quetzalcoatl in the ancient city of Tlatelolco. The Aztecs used to sacrifice people in this place. It is not surprising that scientists found the remains of a decapitated young man in the tomb. In his hand he held a small whistle shaped like a clay skull.
Similar objects were later found in other tombs, mainly in places associated with the Aztec civilization. At first, archaeologists thought that this was a simple ritual decoration, but then they compared the artifacts and discovered that the holes in them were made in the same way as in musical instruments.
Scientists then decided to recreate this object in its original form using 3D printing technology. And when they dared to blow on it, they were amazed: the sound that came out was like a heartbreaking human scream.
For 25 years now, scientists have been arguing why the Aztecs used these “death whistles” (as scientists call them). Some believe that the Indians used them to intimidate the enemy in battle. Others point out that the whistles are mainly found near the skeletons of the victims and therefore suggest that they played a role in the ceremony.
It has also been proposed that the sound they make symbolizes the strong winds that blow in the “Aztec world of the dead” and personifies the wind god “Ehecatl”.
The participants in the experiment forget everything.
Scientists from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) decided to experimentally verify how the signals produced by the “death whistles” affect the human brain. Scientists invited volunteers and performed a series of tests on them, recording the response of their neurons and psyche to audio recordings. At that time, the subjects did not know the source of the sounds they heard.
The participants in the experiment noted that they perceived the sounds as something between natural and artificial, scared and deterred.
In the brain of the subjects, an increase in the activity of neurons in the auditory parts was observed. Some participants were so scared that they forgot everything that worried them and focused solely on this signal.
Fear and respect
This is the most interesting result. Because the brain perceives this sound as natural and artificial, it completely captures the listener’s attention, forcing the brain to process it more carefully, which improves emotional perception. In addition, it also triggers mental work: But what could this be for?
Since these artifacts are primarily found in Aztec tombs, scholars have concluded that these whistles were used in religious rituals, especially in sacrificial ceremonies and ceremonies involving the dead.
The authors of the study assume that the whistles are intended to instill fear in the victims of the deadly ritual and reverence in the spectators.
“Therefore, skull whistles appear to be unique sound instruments that have a certain psychoaffective effect on listeners. Aztec communities could have benefited from the terrifying, scream-like quality of these sounds,” the scientists note.
