This is an interesting article about clay whistles that have been found in an Aztec burial. Dubbed "whistles of death", I really think that is a misnomer.For years, many archaeologists who uncovered ancient noisemakers dismissed them as toys. Museums relegated them to warehouses. But while most studies and exhibits of ancient cultures focus on how they looked, Velazquez said the noisemakers provide a rare glimpse into how they sounded. Hear some of the spine-tingling sounds of the ancient Aztecs »
"We've been looking at our ancient culture as if they were deaf and mute," he said. "But I think all of this is tied closely to what they did, how they thought."
Velazquez is part of a growing field of study that includes archaeologists, musicians and historians. Medical doctors are interested too, believing the Aztecs may have used sound to treat illnesses.
Noisemakers made of clay, turkey feathers, sugar cane, frog skins and other natural materials were an integral part of pre-Columbian life, found at nearly every Mayan site.
The Aztecs sounded the low, foghorn hum of conch shells at the start of ceremonies and possibly during wars to communicate strategies. Hunters likely used animal-shaped ocarinas to produce throaty grunts that lured deer.
The modern-day archaeologists who came up with the term Whistles of Death believe they were meant to help the deceased journey into the underworld, while tribes are said to have emitted terrifying sounds to fend off enemies, much like high-tech crowd-control devices available today.
As the article states, these whistles have been known to archaeologists for a long time, but in this article we have an audio file of the whistles being used. I now think, after listening, that these whistles, in the hands of a skilled practitioner or musician, could mimic the sounds of the animals that they portrayed. This could have had many uses, from healing to communication.
Since these flutes were part of a burial, I'm speculating that the deceased was a musician.
Enjoy.
