Archaeologists Reveal: Ancient Maya Incorporated Rulers' Ashes into Pelota Game Balls
Discover how the ancient Maya honored their rulers by blending their ashes into the rubber balls used in the sacred game of Pelota, as uncovered by recent archaeological findings in Mexico.
Ancient Maya kings continued to promote sports even beyond their lifetimes.
While many civilizations embalmed and mummified their deceased rulers, the ancient Maya took a unique approach by mixing the ashes of their leaders into balls used for the ritual game of Pelota. Archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History uncovered over 400 vessels containing a mixture of ashes, rubber, and plant roots during excavations at the Temple of the Sun.
Correlating these findings with written Maya records revealed that cremated remains were incorporated into the rubber balls used in the ceremonial Pelota game.
– Archaeologists, Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History
Pelota is an ancient ballgame still played by some indigenous Central American communities today. However, unlike their ancestors, modern players do not include the ashes of prominent political figures in their balls.
The hypothesis about using ashes is largely supported by inscriptions engraved on three scoring rings marking the boundaries of the Pelota court. These artifacts were found in the Tonin archaeological site in southern Mexico, where the excavation took place. According to the inscriptions, three ancient dignitaries were taken to the "Cave of the Dead" and underwent a 260-day "transformation" process.
The Temple of the Sun in Tonin is a large pyramid beneath which lies a labyrinthine network of chambers about eight meters deep, interconnected by corridors. In one chamber resembling a crypt, human remains and game balls dating back to the 7th-8th centuries AD were discovered.
The ancient Maya believed that the remains of rulers and notable figures held special power, which they sought to harness for the benefit of their entire community.
It is remarkable how the Maya envisioned the transformation of the body. This offers profound insight into their society: to them, rulers were a destiny shared by all people.
– Juan Jadeun Angulo, Archaeologist
The labyrinth beneath the Temple of the Sun was discovered unexpectedly in 2020 when caretakers of the historic site stumbled upon a passage buried under soil and sealed by a stone slab depicting a bound prisoner.
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