Ancient Mayans played a ball game with life-or-death stakes
Ancient Mayans played a ritual ball game, pok-a-tok, where players faced life-or-death stakes, merging sport, religion, and cosmic symbolism in a unique display of Mesoamerican culture.
The ancient Mayans played a ceremonial ball game, pok-a-tok, where defeat could mean ritual sacrifice for players. Dating back to at least 1400 BCE, teams used only hips, elbows, and knees to pass a heavy rubber ball through stone hoops. Courts, like those at Chichen Itza, were elaborate structures up to 270 feet long.
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