Name: Kelly Lane

January 25, 2023 World History: Civilizations in the Americas

Sponge. Analyze the term Mesoamerica. What do you think it means? Hint: Think about
Mesopotamia.
Guiding Question. What characterized the first Mesoamerican civilization?
Download the article, The Ball Game of Mesoamerica, using the link below to answer the
questions that follow.
https://www.ancient.eu/article/604/the-ball-game-of-mesoamerica/
Lesson assessment
1. Where was the Olmec civilization located?Mesoamerica
2. What areas do Mesoamerica include?Northern Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and central to southern Mexico.
3. The Olmecs were given the name “The Rubber people.”
Why were they given this name? They produced a lot of things that were made of
rubber but they were famous for making the ball.
4. Describe Mesoamerica’s climate. Very hot/mild
5. What distinguishable features were found in the Olmec cities? The ball fields
6. What could happen if one lost the Ball Game? They could die or be sacrificed
7. Who invented the game? The Olmecs
8. What was the goal of the game? To get the ball through hoop
9. What did the ball represent? The moon, or the sun
10. What did the court represent? a connection to the underworld
11. Describe the ball. Shaped like a full moon and very heavy
12. What must one do to successfully make a goal? Get the ball through the hoop
13. This game reminds us of what US sport? Basketball, and soccer
14. Who invented the sport? James Niesmith
-Around the 1800s AD,
archaeologists began
digging and unearthed
some interesting findings
in the region now known
as Mesoamerica.
-Detailed excavations
reveal that the Mayas once
lived in this region.
-It also reveals an older
civilization, the Olmecs,
which was discovered by
archaeologists in the
1940s.
-The Olmec civilization
developed around 1200
BC. -Like other civilizations we discussed (e.g., Harappa in the Indus
-This occurred before the River Valley), the Olmecs had their large cities (e.g., San
fall of the Shang Dynasty Lorenzo, La Venta, etc.)
and during the time of the -Around 400 BC, the Olmec civilization declined.
Xia Dynasty in China. -No one really knows what happened to the Olmecs.
-One thing they do know is this culture influenced cultures that
followed.
-One practice that was copied by the Olmecs was the Ball Game.
-This was a popular sport with several courts in a single city.
-This game may have had religious ritualistic importance.
-And the sport could be a game of life or death.
-The goal was do not lose or you could lose your head or other
body parts.
-The game was probably
invented by the Olmecs.
-It was played on a
rectangular flattened earth
set between two parallel
stone walls.
-Each side had a stone
ring set extremely high on
the wall.
-It is believed that the ball
might have represented
the sun or the moon; the
court, the underworld.
 -The goal was to get the
ball through a ring.
-The ball was large and
heavy, and made of latex.
-Players could not use
their hands.
-They could use their
elbows, thighs, knees, or
shoulders.
-Remarkably, seven
rubber balls have been
discovered near San
Lorenzo.
-They date back from
1600 to 1200 BC.

Ball Game of Meso-America

Instructions: Use the table below to fill in interesting facts about the Ballgame of
Meso-America.
Teams 1 to 4 people
1443 and 1305 BCE game was first played
Played with a solid latex ball

Abner Doubleday invented the game

The game was played for 2 weeks
The Olmecs invented the game

The game was sacred to the Maya’s

The leader of the team was killed if his team lost

Hunahpa was the first man sacrificed in the game