It is well known that the ancient Mayans had their own version. ball game, was played with a rubber ball on a stone court. Such games functioned not only as athletic competitions, but also as religious competitions, often involving ritual sacrifices. Archaeologists say they have discovered evidence that the Maya may have blessed newly constructed ball fields with rituals involving hallucinogenic plants. new paper Published in PLoS ONE magazine.
“When they built a new building, they asked for God’s goodness to protect the people living in it.” Co-author David Lentz said: from the University of Cincinnati. “Some people call this a soul-entering ritual to obtain blessings from the gods and appease them.” Lentz and his team previously used Genetic and pollen analysis of wild and cultivated plants discovered in the ancient Mayan city of Yaxnoca in what is now Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. reveal the evidence Thousands of years of sustainable agriculture and forestry.
As we have previously reported, there is ample evidence that humans in many cultures throughout history have used various hallucinogenic substances in religious and shamanic rituals. It includes ancient Egyptian, but also ancient Greek, Vedic, Mayan, Incan, and Aztec cultures.of Uralina People living in the Amazon basin of Peru still use a psychoactive beer called . Ayahuasca Westerners seeking their own brand of enlightenment have also been known to attend.
last year, found by archaeologists Ancient Egyptian vase in the shape of a god Beth They showed traces of phytochemical compounds known to cause hallucinations. Specifically, they identified: syria street (peganum harmalaAccording to the authors, the seeds produce the alkaloids harmine and harmaline, which are known to have hallucinogenic properties that can cause dream-like hallucinations.There were also traces of blue water lily (water lily cerulea), contains psychoactive alkaloids that act as sedatives. It is one of several candidate plants that scholars believe could be the fruit of the lotus tree mentioned in Homer’s writings. Odyssey. Members of Beth’s cult may have ingested a special cocktail containing compounds that induce altered states of consciousness.
And in 2022, archaeologists discovered evidence that ancient Peruvians were lacing beer served at feasts with hallucinogens. Excavations at a remote Warri outpost called Kirkapampa unearthed seeds from the Birka tree that can be used to make a powerful hallucinogen. Seeds, bark, and other tree parts all contain: DMTis a famous psychedelic substance that also exists. Ayahuasca beer of an Amazonian tribe. However, the main active ingredients are Bufotenin. According to historical accounts, there is also evidence that juice and tea extracted from Birka seeds were sometimes added. Chichaa fermented beverage made from corn or the fruit of the mole tree, which is native to Peru.
People from the neighboring state of Tiwanaku were known to mix such hallucinogens with alcohol, especially corn beer. However, the Wari may have used these materials to forge political alliances and expand their empire. Wali may have held one final major explosion before the site was abandoned.of wari empire It lasted in the central highlands of Peru from about 500 AD to 1100 AD.
This latest study was based on soil samples taken during excavations conducted from 2016 to 2022 at Yaxnoca, nine miles north of the Guatemalan border, particularly of stones and soil connected by a causeway to nearby ceremonial sites. It was taken from the ball court platform. Approximately 300 such ball fields have been discovered in the highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas, most of which date from the Postclassic period.
