Archaeologists uncover ancient Maya ball court used as a ritual centre b4in.org/s0xQ Workers were constructing a school’s basketball court in the municipality of Maxcanu in the Yucatan region of Mexico when they stumbled upon an ancient ball game court which was used as a ritual centre. An archaeologist with The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH, National Institute of Anthropology and History), who attended the site told the school: “The Mayans are way ahead of you, you can’t build your court because a pre-Hispanic one already exists here: it’s a Ball Game court.” More than 1300 ball courts of varying sizes have been found in Mesoamerica, all made up of a long narrow playing field flanked by two walls. The rules of the ballgame, which was played since at least 1400 BC, are not precisely known. Spanish records state that the game was played by two teams of two to four players. A hard ball made of rubber had to be kept in the air by hitting it with the hips, thighs or upper arms and bouncing it of the side walls. The sport had different versions in different places during the millennia, and a newer more modern version of the game, ulama, is still played in a few places by the indigenous population. More b4in.org/s0xQ
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 03:40:22 +0000
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