Illustration by Mark Oliver

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Play Ball!

Last spring, archaeologists were digging in an ancient city in Mexico when they spotted an unusual object. After brushing away the dirt, they realized it was a circular stone with writings and drawings etched into it. 

Researchers think the heavy disc was used about 1,200 years ago in one of the oldest sports in the world. The stone may give new clues about the powerful Maya civilization.

Ahead of Their Time

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

The Maya civilization likely began around 1500 b.c. At its peak, the Maya Empire stretched from what is now southern Mexico to Central America. 

The Maya were ahead of their time. They had an advanced understanding of math and science. They also had acomplex writing system that used hieroglyphs, or pictures and symbols that represent words. 

LORENZO HERNANDEZ/Reuters

Top right: close-up of a pok-ta-pok player; lower-right: close-up of a pok-ta-pok ball

Maya Mysteries

The recently uncovered stone was found in the ruins of the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá (chee-CHEN eet-SAH). The stone shows two players from a ball game called pok-ta-pok. Experts think it was used as a marker on a pok-ta-pok court.

“There are 13 known courts at Chichén Itzá,” explains archaeologist David Freidel. “So the game must have been important to leaders of the city.”

Exactly why the Maya played pok-ta-pok remains unclear. Archaeologists think it may have been more like a religious ceremony than a fun game. The hieroglyphs on the stone may help them crack the code. 

The Maya Empire began to crumble about 1,100 years ago. But archaeologists believe more secrets of the Maya are still waiting to be found.

How to Play Pok-Ta-Pok

Illustration by Mark Oliver

The rules aren’t fully known, but the goal was to hit a rubber ball (2) through a small hoop on a wall (1). 

Players hit the heavy ball with their legs, arms, or hips—no hands allowed! (3)

Two teams faced off. Each had from two to seven players. (4)

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