Archaeologists announced this week the discovery of a stone scoreboard used in a football-like game at the famous Mayan archaeological site of Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
The circular piece, which measures more than 32 centimeters (12.6 inches) in diameter and weighs 40 kilograms (88 pounds), displays hieroglyphs about two players standing next to a ball, according to a statement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
“At this Mayan site it is rare to find hieroglyphs, let alone a complete script,” said Francisco Perez, one of the archaeologists coordinating investigations of the Chichanchobe complex, also known as Casa Colorada.
The stone, believed to be a scoreboard, has been dated to between 800 AD and 900 AD.
The ball game was a traditional practice of the peoples of Mesoamerica and is believed to have ritual overtones.
INAH researchers are now preparing to take high-resolution images of the text and icons for detailed study, as they prepare for preservation.
The Chichen Itza complex, declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is one of the main archaeological centers of the Mayan civilization on the Yucatan Peninsula. According to official data, about 2 million people visit the site every year.
WWA