[Aztlan] Follow up to the Ball Game question

[Justin Kerr]

The top of the ball court walls at Chichen were accessible. Many years ago I
walked along the wall to photograph the ring from above.
But more likely the spectators gathered at the temple at the end of the
court. As on the Nayarit ball court, the small ball court at Tikal (K6032D
in portfolio) has very neat steps that lead to the top of the sides.

It is my humble opinion that the rings at Chichen were never used as hoops
but rather as you suggest were markers for the playing field. Other ball
courts have markers such a Copan where the markers are macaw heads rather
than rings (see 4400i in Portfolio) The Copan ball court certainly had room
for spectators as you can in the image three or four people standing near
the temple. 
Justin Kerr 

-----Original Message-----
From: Sven Röhrig [mailto:sven at 3phase.de] 
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 8:26 AM
To: Justin Kerr; aztlan at lists.famsi.org
Subject: Re: [Aztlan] Follow up to the Ball Game question

A very nice one :-)...

the hight of the spectators position is roughly the height of the  
first step of the chinchen itza ballcourt walls...

Regarding Chinchen itzas great ballcourt I think its anyway more  
likely that this step is not part of the game..
Because its dimensions could lead to situations where the ball not  
jumps back to the court.

For a court of such giant dimensions its not likely that spectators  
only sit on the front sides. This would be a very exclusiv game than.

When the step on the sidewalls would be the spectators position in  
chinchen itza, the rings wouldnt be part of the game anyway...

maybe they are for signaling? or to split the ball court?


thanks for the links,

Sven Röhrig


Am 26.03.2009 um 02:59 schrieb Justin Kerr:

> Here is a Tiny Url to a Ball Court with Spectators The Precolumbian
> Portfolio.
>
>
>
> http://tinyurl.com/cehl2k
>
>
>
> Justin Kerr
>
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