"Mayan Scoreboard Unearthed: Reveals Use of Dead Rulers as Balls in Ancient Ballgame"
Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a 1,000-year-old stone scoreboard used in the Mayan 'pelota' game, which was played with a ball containing the ashes of dead rulers. The carved, circular stone was found in the Mayan Chichén Itzá archaeological site and displays hieroglyphic writing surrounding two players standing next to a ball. The artifact, named the 'Disk of the Pelota Players', is inscribed with a reference to a date in the Mayan calendar that is equivalent to the year 894 AD. The game is thought to have been played for ceremonial purposes, possibly commemorating important members of society.