Researchers make noises of pre-Columbian society
June 30th, 2008 By JULIE WATSON , Associated Press Writer
Roberto Velazquez, an expert in pre-Columbian sounds, plays a replica of a flute in Mexico City, April 17, 2008. The 66-year-old mechanical engineer has given his career to recreating the sounds of his pre-Columbian ancestors, producing hundreds of replicas of whistles, flutes and wind instruments unearthed in Mexico's ruins. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
(AP) -- Scientists were fascinated by the ghostly find: a human skeleton buried in an Aztec temple with a clay, skull-shaped whistle in each bony hand. But no one blew into the noisemakers for nearly 15 years. When someone finally did, the shrill, windy screech made the spine tingle. If death had a sound, this was it.
Content from The Associated Press expires 15 days after original publication date. For more information about The Associated Press, please visit www.ap.org .
Similar stories from PHYSorg:
Roman York skeleton could be early TB victim
Sep 16, 2008 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
0
'Fishapod' reveals origins of head and neck structures of first land animals
Oct 15, 2008 |
4.9 / 5 (17) |
6
Orangutan's spontaneous whistling opens new chapter in study of evolution of speech
Dec 11, 2008 |
4.8 / 5 (24) |
6
James Webb space telescope's actual 'spine' now being built
Feb 09, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
Skeleton of 12,000-year-old shaman discovered buried with leopard, 50 tortoises and human foot
Nov 05, 2008 |
4.5 / 5 (21) |
0
