The ball game

The ball game

More than 2500 years old, the Mesoamerican ball game was a tradition among many peoples in the region. Its importance as a ceremonial and public activity is shown by the central locations of the game courts in the large Olmec, Veracruz and Mayan cities.

The game resolved political and martial conflicts, but it also symbolized a cosmic battle for the renewal of fertility among the major deities who ruled over the region´s agriculture.

Two teams faced each other until the losing side died by decapitation. The objects exhibited appear to be stone replicas of the ball game artifacts, originally made of wood and cotton.

 

 

Source Credit: This article originally appeared on Wall Street International by Wall Street International. Read the original article - https://wsimag.com/culture/48350-the-ball-game