Mesoamerican Rubber Ballgame

Timeline

1. c. 1–200Gulf Coast of Mexico · MexicoMesoamerican peoples mastered the technique of vulcanizing rubber tree sap with morning glory vine juice to make elastic solid balls, making them one of the earliest cultures in the world to independently invent elastic ball sports.
2. c. 200–400Copán · HondurasMaya city-states widely built I-shaped ballcourts with high walls on both sides and stone rings at each end; ballcourts became a standard feature of urban plaza areas, forming ritual centers together with temples and palaces, and ballgames were closely linked to ceremonies marking the end of calendar cycles.
3. c. 350–500Tikal · GuatemalaThe ballgame echoes the myth of the Hero Twins in the Popol Vuh; players struck the ball with hips and elbows to pass it through stone rings, and match outcomes symbolized the struggle between cosmic order and chaos, while city-states also used ballgames to replace or accompany military conflict.