For sports enthusiasts, iconic locations like Fenway Park, Wembley Stadium, or Centre Court at Wimbledon are revered as hallowed ground. But even millennia before these modern venues, ancient Maya built ballcourts that were more than just places to play; they were sites of ceremonial significance and sacred rituals.
Recent archaeological research from the University of Cincinnati has unearthed evidence suggesting that the Maya sanctified their ballcourts with ritual offerings, placing hallucinogenic plants and chiles beneath them.
The study was led by a team of archaeologists who analyzed environmental DNA (eDNA) to identify a collection of plants used in ceremonial rituals in the ancient Maya city of Yaxnohcah in Mexico’s Campeche region.
This discovery, made under the soil of a plaza where a ballcourt was constructed, suggests that these offerings were part of a ritualistic practice to bless and protect the newly constructed field.
David Lentz, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, explained the significance of these offerings. When the ancient Maya erected a new building, they would ask the gods to protect its inhabitants. It was a ritual to obtain a blessing and appease the gods, Lentz noted. This practice was observed in many of the ancient Maya’s construction projects, where ceremonial objects, such as pottery and jewelry, were often found.
However, what sets this discovery apart is the use of perishable materials like plants in these offerings. Nicholas Dunning, a professor emeritus at the University of Cincinnati, pointed out that while ethnohistorical sources have long indicated the use of perishable materials, it is rare to find them archaeologically due to their rapid decomposition in tropical climates. The team’s use of environmental DNA allowed them to identify several plant species, including a hallucinogenic morning glory known as xtabentun, lancetwood, chiles, and jool, which was used to wrap ceremonial offerings.
Eric Tepe, a botanist and associate professor at the University of California, highlighted the unique aspect of these findings. The fact that these four plants, which have known cultural significance for the Maya, were found in a concentrated sample indicates that this was a deliberate and purposeful collection placed under this platform, Tepe said.
The discovery provides valuable insights into the religious and ceremonial practices of the ancient Maya. The ballcourt was more than a place for competitive games like pok-a-tok, which was similar to modern-day basketball or soccer; it was a sacred site with spiritual and religious significance.
Despite the groundbreaking nature of the findings, interpreting these ancient practices remains challenging. The team noted the difficulty in deciphering the intent and meaning behind ceremonial offerings from 2,000 years of prehistory. However, Lentz believes that these findings contribute to a broader understanding of the complex and sophisticated culture of the ancient Maya.
While the ancient Maya were known for their advanced engineering, including water filtration systems and conservation practices, they faced challenges such as prolonged droughts and deforestation caused by agricultural expansion.
Yet their ability to integrate religious and ceremonial practices into their daily lives underscores the depth and complexity of their civilization.
To me, the ancient Maya represent the yin and yang of human existence, Lentz said. It’s what makes them so fascinating.
Sources
University of Cincinnati | Lentz DL, Hamilton TL, Meyers SA, Dunning NP, Reese-Taylor K, Hernández AA, et al. (2024) Psychoactive and other ceremonial plants from a 2,000-year-old Maya ritual deposit at Yaxnohcah, Mexico. PLoS ONE 19(4): e0301497. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301497
- Share this article:
The Genoese Brothers who Disappeared in Search of a Spice Route in the 13th Century
In the late 13th century, two Genoese brothers with a musical surname embarked on the daunting adventure of finding an alternative spice route. Their idea was to reach India with…
Centuriation, the Complex Land Distribution System in Ancient Rome
It was the year 40 BC when the famous Virgil traveled to Rome from his estate in Mantua to meet with Octavius and demand the return of some expropriated lands…
When Archaeologists Found Patroclus’ Tomb on the Island of Euboea
One of the main consequences of the Lelantine War, which for the first time between 710 and 650 BC pitted two factions of Greek city-states against each other, was the…
Intervision, the Soviet Bloc Festival that Replicated Eurovision with Voting by Turning the Lights On and Off
This is evident with NATO and the Warsaw Pact or the European Common Market and COMECON. But interestingly enough, the Eastern countries also had a response to something much less…
Mycale, the Great Greek Victory Over the Persians that Ended the Greco-Persian Wars
This battle, fought at the same time as the Platea one according to legend, resulted in the end of the conflict, the start of the second Ionian revolt against the…
The History of the Small Kingdom of Najera, Precursor to the Kingdom of Navarra and Cradle of the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon
If all of Spain’s history is inherently complex—much more than simplifications tend to suggest—perhaps the medieval period takes the cake in close competition with ancient times, both due to the…
Researchers Discover Gestures and Sounds Elephants Use to Greet Each Other When Reuniting, With Traits Previously Believed Unique to Human Language
Elephants are extraordinary animals, known for their complex social interactions and sophisticated communication system. A recent study published in Nature Communications has revealed new and significant findings about how elephants…
Archaeologists Discover Unknown Structure Buried 6.5 to 33 Feet Deep Next to the Pyramids of Giza
Researchers from Higashi Nippon International University, Tohoku University, and the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) in Egypt conducted comprehensive geophysical exploration in the Western Cemetery of Giza,…
The Mystery of the Origin of the Copper for the First Oxhide Ingots, which Spread throughout the Mediterranean between the 16th and 11th Centuries BCE, has been Solved
Though they have long been considered a “trademark” of Cyprus from the 15th century BCE onward, the origin of this distinctive shape had remained unknown until now. Thanks to the…
What is the Origin of Phosphorus and why is it so Abundant? Astronomers Propose it Formed in Nova Explosions 8 Billion Years Ago
Phosphorus is one of the essential elements for life on Earth, it plays a critical role in DNA, RNA, ATP, and other biological molecules. Yet, its origins in the universe…
Scientists Discover How the Human Brain Achieves Its Large Size
The human brain is much more powerful than that of other animals, thanks to both its size and complexity. In the brain of a mouse, for example, there are 75…
NASA Discovers Planet 55 Cancri-e has an Atmosphere
NASA scientists have potentially uncovered evidence of atmospheric gases surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet orbiting a star similar to our Sun located about 41 light-years away in…
Loading...
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.