Who were the Aztec, really? It’s complicated. Before their defeat by the Spanish in 1521, the triple alliance ruled Mesoamerica through complex trade networks—and warfare.

Ancient Aztec death whistle still terrifies people today, study finds — and you can listen if you’re brave enough By . Ben Cost. Published Nov. 19, 2024, 10:22 a.m. ET.

Aztec death whistles don't fit into any existing Western classification for wind instruments; they seem to be a unique kind of "air spring" whistle, based on CT scans of some of the artifacts.

Aztec death whistles have a unique instrumental construction . To understand the physical mechanisms behind the whistle's shrill and screeching sound, a team of researchers at the University of ...

Once every 52 years, Aztec priests let the fire die out. The high priest, wearing a turquoise mask representing Xiuhtecuhtli, would then perform a Xiuhtlalpilli, or "new fire ceremony", which ...