Mexico
Artifact of the Mayan Ball Game discovered in Ruins Site
A round sculptural object of the ball game of the Mayan culture can be seen in this image provided by the Ministry of Culture of Mexico. photo
© —/Secretaria Cultura Mexico/dpa
Even the Maya played ball – hundreds of years ago. A special testimony of this time has now been unearthed.
Archaeologists have found a Mayan hieroglyphic disc in southeastern Mexico. The approximately 1,100-year-old artifact was discovered in the ruins of Chichén Itza on the Yucatán Peninsula, the Ministry of Culture said. It is related to the Mayan ritual ball game. The stone object has a diameter of 32.5 centimeters, is 9.5 centimeters thick and weighs 40 kilograms, the statement said. In the middle two players can be seen in front of a ball.
The artifact was reportedly found in an inverted position at a depth of 58 centimeters. According to the scientists, it was part of an entrance arch that collapsed. Archaeologist Francisco Pérez said the find may have commemorated an important event at the small ball court of the architectural complex “Casa Colorada” (Red House). Complete hieroglyphic writings are rarely found at Chichén Itza, according to the researchers.