Maya may have used the ashes of the elite to play ball.

Archaeologist Juan Yadeun Angulo of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History has suggested that the ashes of Mayan rulers were used to make rubber balls for team games. portal reports Life Science.

The researcher and his team believe they have found evidence of the practice of using human remains to make balls while excavating the city of Tonina in southern Mexico. In 2020, the same team of scientists discovered a 1,300-year-old pyramid here that served as a temple to the Sun. The crypt contained parts of about 400 ships containing ash, charcoal, and natural rubber. Now scientists have concluded that all these are components for the rubber vulcanization process, and the product of this process is rubber for making balls.

It was not uncommon for the Indians to use human remains to create various objects, but the ashes discovered by Mexican archaeologists may have belonged to the ancient rulers of the Maya.

The ball game has been popular and ritualized in America for thousands of years. Numerous ball courts have been found in ancient Maya cities, including Tonin. The rules and name of this game may have changed over time. It is known to be played by two teams using a rubber ball on a large I-shaped field.

The scientists examined the carvings on the statues located at the ancient sports ground next to the pyramid and found that they depicted a ruler named Wak Chan Kah and a woman named Lady Kavil Kaan, both members of the elite. The adjacent lot also has sculptures depicting captives in rubber balls thrown by a richly dressed man.

Other archaeologists believe the hypothesis is consistent with the philosophy and mythology of the ancient Maya. But as it’s unknown how the authors learned that the ashes belonged to high-ranking monarchs, scientists urged caution with the results until the study is published in a peer-reviewed journal.