Disturbing Carving Found at Ancient Maya City

In the middle of an ancient Maya ball court at the city of Coba, in Mexico you can find this carving.

The impressive ball court has carvings, as well as the hoops from the game and stele.

[Kramo]

I walked on that court and climbed the pyramid back in 97. Cool stuff.

[sarahlieberman]

I was there for Spring Equinox, 2001...that court is a brutal example of what religious rules extract from willing humans

[deandeann]

Early on some archaeologists hypothesized that the winners were sacrificed. In recent years I believe this has reversed, with the majority of archaeologists believing that the losers were sacrificed. This would ensure the players played hard. It would be difficult to get a whole team to play hard if the reward was death.

[Bat_Boy]

I heard it was the winners who got sacrificed, as they wanted to die for their beliefs.

[nohandle]

This isn't a mystery. They would sometimes play with heads and, normally, the losers would be killed.

[KohalaLover]

My mom and dad visited many decades ago. Fascinating.

[aliceputt]

Polo was invented originally using the severed heads of enemies. That was Eurasia. The good old days weren't very good.

[edithnogueira]

They play a game that looks like soccer. The winner, the best of the team was sacrificed.

[JoseDiazGrant]

Those rings and imagination is more like spaceship anker so it dont float away!
Thoughts?

[animoetprudentia]

I was there in 07'. Loved exploring the Yucatan, wonderful people.

[tt]

If it were a ball game/court why is the skull a “sinister” carving? …I mean unless their ball was a human head, it just looks like a court.

[Morelock]

I climbed the temple with my daughter at sunset in 2020. Thank goodness we did! You can’t climb it anymore!!!
It was last of 3 you could still climb!
Side note, you can still climb if you pay off Government officials!! You can climb any of them! But you’re gonna pay!!

[WaterSong]

I know what the archeologists and historians say- but I do wonder, are the hoops REAlly for a game?… or maybe they were more like, anchor points, for tethering something. 🤔
Ball court?/landing pad?/ceremonial practices? But, for a GAME? Idk if I buy it

[JohnnyKray]

Those low bars around that tripping hazard are a tripping hazard.

[danieltrujillocordova]

Ese rostro es idéntico al de los rostros de diferentes razas del templo hundido en la gran plaza de Tiahuanaco en Bolivia una ciudad de quince mil años de antigüedad gran enigma milenario

[TheRealNewWhirledOrder]

They should have went waist high with those tripping hazards.

[jsderan]

They say the winning scorer of the game got sacrificed. It was an honor!😮

[zachariahbarber]

A game where keeping your cool will cause you to lose your head

[GeorgeRealFU]

why this scary music is not an "alien" is just a scull similar sculls are all over Mayan monuments and buildings

[domesticengineerlifecoach]

Id don't believe it was for a game.