New excavations in the Peruvian highlands have yielded turquoise-incrusted snail-shell trumpets, known locally as pututos, dating to approximately 500 BCE. Found within a high-altitude stone sanctuary, these instruments were likely used to signal the start of High-Altitude Cloud Festivals, where communities gathered to petition the spirits of the mountains for seasonal rains. The turquoise stones were meticulously fitted into the shell's natural spirals, representing the blue of the celestial waters.
Acoustic tests on the recovered shells reveal that they produce a unique, low-frequency drone designed to echo across the deep valleys. This discovery highlights the complex sensory environment of early Andean rituals, where sound and visual artistry were combined to bridge the human and divine realms. The site's location, overlooking a massive drainage basin, suggests these festivals were critical for the irrigation management of the surrounding agricultural terraces.