The 1,100-year-old carved stone has been identified as a scoreboard used by the Mayan civilization in an ancient soccer ball game.
Discovered in Mexico, it offers a breathtaking glimpse into life in the Maya empire.
The 40 kg stone was found in the architectural complex known as Casa Colorada (Red House).
Casa Colorada is the best preserved building around the main square of the pre-Columbian city of Chichen Itza.
Experts believe that in the late 800s or early 900s, this stone decorated the arch at the entrance to the territory.
He was found face down half a meter underground, where he is believed to have fallen when the gate collapsed.
How important were ball games to the Maya?
The analysis is not yet complete, but the stone has already shown how important the game was to Mayan society, with the games taking on a meaning far beyond the game itself, suggesting that some things have changed given the wider role of football and other sports. never changes in today’s society.
The game was so important that it is believed to have played a memorial role, perpetuating the memory of very important members of society.
The game, commonly called pelota, which means ball, is believed to have been extremely important to the social and political life of the Maya empire, and archaeologists believe the artifact may be a monument to a game that took place in our era. . 894
How was pelota played?
Carvings on a round stone found at the famous Mayan archaeological site of Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula depict figures in traditional pelota dress outlined in glyphs.
Pelota was usually played with a rubber ball pushed by the players with the hip, elbow or knee.
Researchers believe the game had a symbolic meaning, and some pelota balls are said to even contain the ashes of dead Mayan rulers.
Considered one of the world’s oldest team sports, pelota is still played by indigenous communities in parts of Central America, although the use of balls made from the remains of politicians is a tradition that has not stood the test of time.
It is believed to be 3,000 years old and was played in Mesoamerica, which includes the modern countries of northern Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and south-central Mexico.
What do the scoreboards show?
The man to the left of the engraved artwork, known as the pelota player’s disc, “wears a feathered headdress and belt with a flower-shaped element, probably a water lily”.
On the line of the face is a scroll that can be interpreted as a breath or a voice,” says archaeologist Santiago Alberto Sobrino Fernandez, one of the archaeologists involved in the discovery.
“The enemy wears a ‘serpentine turban’, a headdress often seen at Chichen Itza. To play pelota, a person puts on protective equipment,” he said.
“It is rare to find hieroglyphs on this Mayan monument, let alone full text. This has not happened in 11 years,” he added.
The identities of the players recorded on the disc remain unknown, as does the outcome of the game, although further interpretation of the inscription may reveal both the nature of the game and the final outcome.
Chichen Itza, one of the largest Mayan cities, is located on the Yucatan Peninsula. The central pelota field is significantly larger than that of Casa Colorada and is believed to have played many games when it was at its busiest.
What’s next for the artifact?
The object measures just over 32 cm (12.6 in) in diameter and weighs 40 kg (88 lb).
INAH researchers are currently preparing to capture high-resolution images of text and iconography for detailed study in preparation for preservation.
The Chichen Itza complex, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is one of the most important archaeological centers of the Maya civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula. According to official figures, about 2 million people visit the site every year.
Source: I News
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