An ancient Mayan empire city was found in the Mexican jungle
www.nbcnews.com
Ocomtún, with large pyramid-like buildings, stone columns, a ball field and imposing buildings and plazas, was likely an important city, according to anthropologists.
  • livus@kbin.social
    1·
    2 years ago

    Very cool. Iirc, in those ancient ball games, it was really hard to get the ball through the hoop and if you did you won a lot of riches.

      • proprioception@kbin.social
        3·
        2 years ago

        The captain maybe, but if someone actually made the ball go through the hole the game was stopped and that person was given all the wagered loot, and was also able to take things from the audience or whoever he wanted too.

        Thing is, it was really difficult to make the shot. So a very rare occurrence.

        Also the audience got really into betting, some of them lost it all, and some even gambled themselves into slavery.

        Fun game!

      • livus@kbin.social
        1·
        2 years ago

        The more I hear about these games, the less fun they sound. I think it was just the person who literally puts it through the hoop that gets the riches, though, not the captain?

        I have a hazy memory of some Mayan leader called Bird Jaguar The Great actually putting their political opponents inside a ball and kicking it down the steps, but that sounds like a fever dream.

        • proprioception@kbin.social
          2·
          2 years ago

          Bird Jaguar the great likely used his hips or buttocks to send the victim’s remains, encased in a large rubber ball down a long flight of stone steps.

          Ball skills!

          • livus@kbin.social
            1·
            2 years ago

            That doesn’t sound as bad, I was imagining a live captive like in a hamster ball.