Ballplayer Relief Panel

Exploring the Early Americas The Jay I. Kislak Collection

Pre-Contact America | Explorations and Encounters | Aftermath of the Encounter

Urban Landscapes | Ritual, Ceremonies, and Celebrations | Language and Context | Recording History | The Heavens and Time

Ballplayer relief panel.
Guatemalan Lowlands. La Carona (Site “Q”). Maya, AD 550–950.
Limestone.
Jay I. Kislak Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (11)

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Ritual ballgames were an integral part of the political and ritual life of ancient Mesoamerica. Many of the most vivid images of the game come from Maya artifacts. This limestone relief shows an ornately dressed player—most likely a nobleman—kneeling and about to strike a ball. Two hieroglyphs are lightly incised into the background of the relief near the forearm of the player, giving his name and title. On the second of the two glyphs is the spelling of the word "pitz," translated as "ballgame" or "ballplayer."