Chichen Itza: Archaeologists discover scoreboard for ancient Maya ball game

Archaeologists successful Mexico person uncovered an intricately carved chromatic they judge was utilized arsenic a scoreboard for pelota, a shot crippled played by the Maya hundreds of years ago.

The circular chromatic was recovered astatine the Chichen Itza archaeological tract and is thought to beryllium astatine slightest 1,200 years old.

At its centre are 2 players successful elaborate headgear surrounded by hieroglyphic writing.

Experts are present analysing the penning to decipher its imaginable meaning.

The 40kg-stone (88lb) was recovered by archaeologist Lizbeth Beatriz Mendicut Pérez successful an architectonic compound known arsenic Casa Colorada (Red House).

Casa Colorada is the champion preserved of the buildings surrounding the main plaza successful the pre-Columbian metropolis of Chichen Itza.

Experts judge the chromatic would person adorned an archway astatine the entranceway to the compound during the precocious 800s oregon aboriginal 900s.

It was recovered look down fractional a metre underground, wherever it is thought to person fallen erstwhile the archway collapsed.

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said the 40kg-stone (88lb) constituted a precious and antithetic find.

"It is uncommon to find hieroglyphic penning astatine this Maya site, and adjacent rarer to find a implicit text. This hasn't happened successful 11 years," archaeologist Francisco Pérez Ruiz explained.

A squad of experts successful iconography, led by Santiago Sobrino Fernández, has identified the 2 cardinal figures arsenic pelota players, 1 of whom wears a feather headdress and the different - presumed to beryllium his hostile - wears what is known arsenic a "snake turban".

The antheral with the snakes slithering astir his caput besides appears to beryllium wearing the protective cogwheel emblematic of pelota players.

Pelota is simply a squad crippled played with a dense shot made from rubber successful a ballcourt. It is thought to beryllium 3,000 years aged and was played crossed Mesoamerica.