Stuff You Should Know

Short Stuff: Aztec Death Whistle

February 11, 2026

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  • The Aztec Death Whistles discussed in this *Short Stuff: Aztec Death Whistle* episode of *Stuff You Should Know* were excavated in the late 1990s in Mexico City from the remains of a beheaded young male found near a temple dedicated to the Aztec wind god, Ehecado. 
  • The whistles are believed to symbolize the union of the Aztec underworld god, Mictlantecuhtli, and the wind god, Ehecado, and were likely ceremonial instruments used to guide spirits through the perilous nine-year journey to the underworld, possibly by mimicking the fierce winds described in the *Codex Borgia*. 
  • Music archaeologist Arn Both suggests the whistles were air spring instruments, unique to pre-Columbian America, and their small size indicates they were not intended for terrifying enemies in battle, contrary to popular belief. 

Segments

Pepsi Zero Sugar Challenge
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(00:00:04)
  • Key Takeaway: In a blind taste test, 66% of people preferred Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar.
  • Summary: Pepsi conducted a challenge where tens of thousands of people tasted two zero-sugar colas without labels. The results showed a clear preference for Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar by a margin of 66%. This suggests that bias disappears when labels are removed, leading consumers to choose the taste they actually prefer.
Applebee’s New Cheeseburger
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(00:00:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Applebee’s introduced the new OM Cheeseburger for $11.99.
  • Summary: Applebee’s new OM Cheeseburger is priced at $11.99 for a limited time. It features an all-beef patty, American cheese, bacon, and spicy honey mustard, served on a skillet with extra cheese for dipping. This offer is subject to limitations on price, participation, and selection.
Aztec Whistle Excavation
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(00:01:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Musical instruments, identified as Aztec Death Whistles, were found with a beheaded skeleton in a late 1990s CDMX excavation.
  • Summary: During excavations in the late 1990s under Mexico City, a temple dedicated to the Aztec wind god yielded the remains of a 20-year-old male who was squatting and holding musical instruments. These instruments were later identified as whistles engraved with skulls, symbolizing a connection between the gods Ehecado and Mictlantecuhtli.
Pronunciation Digression
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(00:03:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Many online sources mispronounce Aztec terms like ‘Toxcatl’ with high confidence.
  • Summary: The hosts noted the prevalence of confident mispronunciations of Aztec words found in other online content. They specifically cited the festival name ‘Toxcatl’ as frequently being pronounced incorrectly as ‘Toxcodl.’ The segment emphasized that if one is unsure of a pronunciation, they should avoid presenting it as fact.
Whistle Function Reassessment
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(00:04:10)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary use of the Aztec Death Whistles was likely ceremonial, intended to guide spirits, rather than terrifying enemies in battle.
  • Summary: Music archaeologist Arn Both studied the whistles and concluded they were likely ceremonial, possibly used to help guide spirits in the afterlife. This contrasts with the common theory that they were used to terrify enemies in battle, as the small size of the original whistles would limit their volume.
Air Spring Whistle Mechanics
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(00:05:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The whistles function as air spring instruments, where blown air interacts with an internal air spring to distort the sound.
  • Summary: CT scans and replicas revealed the whistles operate as air spring instruments, a technology developed by the Mayans around 700-800 CE. Blowing air through an intake tube causes it to react with an internal air spring, distorting the sound, which can be further modified by cupping the hand over the bottom.
Public Investing Advertisement
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(00:06:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Public offers an investing platform featuring modern technology like AI-summarized market briefings and earnings call summaries.
  • Summary: Public is presented as an investing platform for serious investors, offering access to stocks, options, bonds, and crypto. Its differentiating technology includes AI-summarized market briefings and the ability to create investable indexes from prompts. New users can earn a 1% uncapped match when transferring their portfolio.
LinkedIn Ads Effectiveness
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(00:07:58)
  • Key Takeaway: LinkedIn Ads generates the highest B2B ROI of all online ad networks due to precise targeting capabilities.
  • Summary: LinkedIn’s network includes over 1 billion professionals and 130 million decision-makers, allowing for highly specific targeting by job title, industry, and seniority. This precision results in LinkedIn Ads generating the highest B2B return on investment among all online ad networks. New advertisers spending $250 on their first campaign receive a free $250 credit for the next one.
Codex Borgia Evidence
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(00:08:56)
  • Key Takeaway: The Codex Borgia manuscript illustrates the connection between Mictlantecuhtli and Ehecado guarding the underworld together.
  • Summary: Written proof of the connection between the two Aztec gods is found in the pre-Columbian manuscript, the Codex Borgia. This illustrated manuscript details the pantheon of gods, showing Mictlantecuhtli and Ehecado guarding the underworld together. This supports the interpretation that the whistles symbolize the union of life and death.
Underworld Journey Rituals
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(00:10:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The Aztec tradition involves a perilous nine-year journey to the underworld, where the dead cross a field whipped by fierce winds.
  • Summary: The journey to the Aztec underworld takes nine years and requires rituals from the living world to provide strength. One ritual involves the dead crossing a field subjected to a fierce wind, which the Codex Borgia depicts using obsidian blades—the same blades found near the excavated skeleton and whistles. This context strongly links the whistles to this specific stage of the afterlife journey.
Battle Use Dismissed
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(00:13:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The small size of the original Aztec Death Whistles makes their use in battle impractical for creating a terrifying sound.
  • Summary: While drums and conch shells were used in battle for communication or intimidation, the original death whistles were too small to produce a sound capable of scaring enemies. Arn Both noted that even 300 of these tiny whistles would not be effective for battlefield terror, reinforcing the conclusion that their purpose was ritualistic, often preceding sacrifices.