Boxing Day: a Maya polychrome pot from southern Belize

Norman Hammond

Abstract

The notion of ancient Maya ritual combat, beyond the well-known rubber-ball game played across Mesoamerica, was proposed 40 years ago on the basis of a polychrome vase from southern Belize and a series of Late Classic (AD 700–850) pottery figurines depicting similarly accoutred individuals, found at the site of Lubaantun.


Author

  • Norman Hammond
    McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3ER, UK; Department of Archaeology, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston MA 02215-1406, USA (Email: ndch@bu.edu)