ARCHÆOLOGY

A MONTHLY EXCAVATION OF ODDITIES AND ANTIQUITIES

PAUL DEVEREUX reports on human rubber balls, an undersea oddity and new dolmen discoveries EXTRA BOUNCE The ancient Mayan city of Toniná (Tzeltal for “house of stone”) is in the Chiapas highlands of southern Mexico. It consists of groups of temple-pyramids set on high terraces rising above a central plaza, two ball courts, and more than 100 carved monuments dating to between the 6th and 9th centuries AD. The ball courts were used for playing the 4,000-year-old early form of pelota, which was not merely a sporting event but possessed religious aspects representing regeneration and thus the believed continuation of Mayan society. So, playing the game was considered to be an act of devotion to the gods and involved the use of a large, solid rubber ball manipulated between players…

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Fortean Times (Digital) - 1 Issue, 423

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