similar to backgammon and checkers. Th e dice were typi-
cally made from the small bones of animals’ knuckles but
also could be blocks of wood or ivory like present-day dice.
Game pieces varied from simple pebbles to elaborately carved
fi gures. Romans played these games almost anywhere, in the
baths, in taverns, and at home.THE AMERICAS
BY RENEE MCGARRY
People in the ancient Americas played a variety of sports and
games. Many of these larger-scale sports, such as the ball game
and the popular foot races, served ritual purposes. Other,
smaller games oft en served the purpose of diversion and were
leisure activities. Many games were played universally across
the Americas, although the rules and practices of each varied
greatly from civilization to civilization and group to group.
Th e ancient ball game is the oldest game known in the
Americas. It originated about 1200 b.c.e. with the Olmec civi-
lization and spread throughout Mesoamerica and even into the
Caribbean islands. By about the year 1290 b.c.e. it was com-
mon for artists to dress fi gurines of Olmec rulers in ball-court
costume, demonstrating the importance of the sport in soci-
ety. Many ancient ball courts are still in existence, and scholars
have used these courts and ancient fi gurines to determine the
purposes, rules, and play of the ball game. While these remain-
ing ball courts are principally located in areas where people
played the game most frequently and extravagantly, archaeo-
logical evidence indicates that civilizations as far north as Ari-
zona played less elaborate versions of the ancient ball game.
Th e Maya story of creation, the Popol Vuh, dates to the
sixth century b.c.e. and illustrates the divine beginnings of
the ancient ball game. In the story the gods known as the Hero
Twins prove themselves to be extraordinary ball players, de-
feating even the Lords of the Underworld in a ball game. Th is
early story establishes the game as more than simply a sport
but indeed a contest of life and death, with the losing team
ultimately suff ering sacrifi ce to the gods.
Th e purpose of the ball game has been diffi cult to decipher.
Many scholars believe that it was a fertility ritual that began
as a simple game and evolved into a ceremony. Th is correlates
with the blood sacrifi ce of the game, as many Mesoamericans
believed t hat to per petuate huma n life societ ies must ta ke lives
as off erings to their gods. Th ese sacrifi ces could serve as a rep-
resentation of a keeping of cosmic order, the victory of the sun
over darkness, or an agricultural ritual.
Th e rules of the game varied by location, but many el-
ements remained consistent across distance. Remarkably,
each game was played with a rubber ball, a material entirely
unique to the Americas in this period of history. Mesoameri-
cans began harvesting and using rubber in approximately
1600 b.c.e., thousands of years before Europeans were famil-
iar with the material. Th is rubber ball weighed 5 to 8 pounds
and was bounced rapidly up and down the ball court during
the game.In each culture the ball game was played with formalized
teams and protective gear. From both depictions of the game
and Spanish accounts, it is clear that neither the hands nor
the feet were allowed contact with the ball. Th e body parts
used to transport the ball varied across civilizations, though
the manner of scoring points was rather consistent. A team
scored a point with the use of two central hoops, or goals,
midfi eld. Ball courts were generally large structures, com-
plete with seating and a central fi eld. Walls were decorated
with depictions of the civilization’s gods and oft en contained
depictions of the ritual sacrifi ce at the end of the game.
Th e ball game was not the only sport played in the ancient
Americas, but it is the one with the most remaining evidence.
Foot races were perhaps the most popular and exciting sports
for Native Americans. Th ese races evolved out of a long tradi-
tion of running for transportation, but because little archaeo-
logical evidence exists there is no way to date the origin of the
races. Much like the ball game, foot races have mythological
origins. Several groups believed that races between their gods
and the animals shaped the world, providing an explanation
for constellations and the diff erentiation between species.
In advance of foot races participants took care to train
and prepare themselves accordingly, which included such ex-
treme measures as tying weights to their ankles for the weeks
before the race. Runners also painted their bodies to identify
themselves in the race and for ritual purposes. In many racesStone hacha, Classic Veracruz, possibly as early as 300 c.e.; hachas
were ax heads related to the Mesoamerican ball game and thought by
some to be used as ball court markers. (© Th e Trustees of the British
Museum)sports and recreation: The Americas 10570895-1194_Soc&Culturev4(s-z).i1057 1057 10/10/07 2:30:55 PM