Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican cultures date to the period in the Americas before the arrival of Columbus.  Shared characteristics demonstrate the strong cultural bond of these civilizations, such as pyramid building, maize as an agricultural staple, deities dedicated to natural forces (i.e. rain, storm, fire) and a ritual ballgame.  These advanced civilizations of early Central and South America developed accurate and complex calendar systems, sophisticated systems of writing and an advanced understanding of astronomy.   As in all cultures, they also sang, danced, and played on a variety of flutes, whistles, trumpets, rattles and drums, expressing their emotions and cultural practices.  Today, we find many of their descendants are still living in their ancestral homes and playing reproductions of these remarkable, ancient instruments.  Many of the ancient American artifacts in this exhibit were found in burial sites, leading us to believe that they were used during funerary rituals.
The majority of these Mesoamerican instruments are structured in anthropomorphic or zoomorphic shapes.  Anthropomorphic is described as having a human form or human attributes that may be ascribed to nonhuman things. While, zoomorphic is depicted as having the form of an animal and attributes of animal characteristics. 
Please note: To find further descriptions on these instruments please go to the top of any page and ‘select’ their respective cultural GALLERY.