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| Just ahead you will see the two parallel mounds of the
ball court. Because of two looters' trenches that exposed the interior
fill of each structure, we know that this particular ball court was
founded in the Preclassic Period and maintained through the Classic
Period. The devastation of the looter's work left the structures in
poor shape. After careful drawing and mapping here, these areas were
refilled for stability. |
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| The Maya ball game was played with resources gathered
from the Maya forest: a large natural-rubber ball, body padding of
amate (fig tree), and headdresses with feathers. Without using either
hands or feet, the ball was kept in the air and bounced off other
players, the structures, or ball court markers generally located in
the center of the alley walls or floors. We do not know precisely
how the game was scored, but we know that there were regional variations.
The Maya might have played the game for enjoyment and sport, for religious
and ceremonial purposes, or for political reasons. |
| Contrary to popular myth, it was usually not played
to death, although it has been said that the games were played with
captives who were destined for sacrifice at the end of the game. |
| The Nohol Pilar ball court is small, located next to the large public
plaza and sandwiched between two major temples. It is similar to the
ball court adjacent to Temple 1 at Tikal. Because of its location,
this ball court was probably used ceremonially. In Maya mythology
two brothers--the Hero Twins, Xbalanque and Hunahpu (remember the
pyramids on the north end of Copal?)
went down to the underworld, Xibalba, and challenged the nine Lords
of Death to a ball game. The twins eventually won and gained concessions
from the Lords of the Underworld. |
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| We know from different representations on vases and
stela that the Maya reenacted this game with costumes and masks. This
court would have been an ideal place for that reenactment. There is
another larger ball court with a sunken alley and greater spectator
areas in Pilar Poniente that would have been more suitable for actually
playing the game. |
| Walking through the ball court, the southern wing of
Xikna (Mayan for winged temple) looms
before you. |
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