‘What’s a Chac Mool?’ she asked.
‘A Chac Mool is a sculpture of a reclining figure holding a bowl on his lap or stomach. You’ll see them throughout Mesoamerica. No one knows their origin or significance, but many believe that sacrifices — whether human or not — were placed in the bowl to appease the gods.’
Jones looked at Ulster. ‘Just a sculpture and a throne? No gold?’
He shook his head. ‘Despite their expertise in other fields, the Maya were latecomers in the field of metallurgy. In some parts of the New World, the craft was practised for two thousand years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, yet as far as we can tell, the Maya never mastered the art. Though some gold discs and ornaments were found in the sacred well of Chichén Itzá, many archaeologists think they were made by craftsmen from the lower isthmus, not from artisans who grew up locally.’
Jones grumbled. ‘How disappointing! You know how much I like gold.’
Ulster smiled. ‘I know you do. Unfortunately, it was the Aztecs, not the Maya, who had all the gold. At the time of the Spanish conquest, Montezuma II was receiving more than two tons of gold in tribute every year. Of course, the conquistadores never found most of it. To this day, the mystery of the Aztec gold has never been solved.’
Payne rolled his eyes. This was how it always was with Ulster. He started on one topic — the shadow serpent of El Castillo — and ended up talking about something completely unrelated. If not for meals, the man would never shut up. ‘The Aztecs? Really? We’re standing in front of a Mayan pyramid, and you’re talking about the Aztecs? I thought you promised the short version.’
Ulster nodded, admonished. ‘Jonathon, my boy, you are quite right. I’ll save my Aztec lecture for another day. While we’re here, let’s focus on what’s truly important.’
Payne tested him. ‘Which is?’
Ulster shrugged. ‘I’m afraid I can’t recall.’
Payne held up his phone. ‘The redhead in this photo.’
‘Ah, yes! Now I remember. Let’s go and find that trollop before she disappears.’
55
Chichén Itzá was a major economic power during its heyday. As such, it was the focal point of a major trade route that brought unavailable resources — such as gold from Central America and obsidian from the west — into the region. But outsiders brought more than commerce inside the city’s walls. They also brought ideas for the city’s design. Unlike many ‘pure’ Mayan cities in Mesoamerica, Chichén Itzá is a mixture of several architectural styles, including the Puuc style found in the northern lowlands and the Toltec style of central Mexico.
The buildings themselves are grouped in a series of architectural sets, which were separated at one time by a succession of low walls. Most of the stone walls are no longer there, but the sets still remain, spread throughout the city like tiny suburbs. The most famous area is called the Great North Platform. It includes El Castillo, the Temple of the Warriors, the Platform of Venus and a grass field that caught Payne’s eye: the Great Ball Court.
Temporarily distracted from his search, Payne walked over to Ulster, who was showing Tiffany’s photo to a group of tourists. ‘Do you have a minute?’
Ulster nodded. ‘Of course, my boy. Of course!’
‘I know I just chastized you for your lecture about the Aztecs, but …’
‘Yes?’
Payne pointed at the field. ‘Is that what I think it is?’
Ulster grinned with delight. ‘I am so happy you asked. Knowing your background in sports, I was dying to tell you about it, but I heeded your warning and focused on the task at hand.’
Payne shrugged. ‘After all of our adventures together — talking about art, religion and whatever — this is finally something I care about. Therefore, I’m officially calling timeout with regard to the search. Please tell me about the field.’
‘With pleasure,’ he said as they walked towards the playing court. ‘Known as the Mesoamerican ball game, the sport can be traced to fifteen hundred years before Christ. The first fields were discovered—’
Payne cut him off. ‘Hold up! I’m stopping you right there. Do not ruin this moment for me. For the first time in our history, we finally get to talk about sports. I don’t care about its origins, or its symbolism, or anything else that would fill a university lecture. Just give me the basics. The ball. The rules. The players. Nothing else matters. That’s the beauty of sports.’
Ulster scratched his beard in thought. ‘Just the basics?’
‘Yes. Just the basics.’
‘I don’t know if I can talk like that.’
Payne smiled. ‘Try.’
Ulster gathered his thoughts as he stared at the field. Measuring 545 feet wide by 223 feet long, it was the largest ball court in ancient Mesoamerica. Two stone walls, nearly 39 feet in height, ran the entire length of the end zones. High in the middle of each wall was a stone ring, carved with intertwining serpents. ‘Let’s start with the field.’
‘Great.’
‘Unlike some modern sports, the dimensions of the field varied from place to place. This one is by far the largest ever discovered, more than five times as large as some other courts. However, some things remained constant. There were high walls on both ends with rings in the middle. And the object of the game was to get the ball through the hole.’
‘Like basketball.’
‘Yes and no. Instead of scoring through the top of a hoop, the ring was turned on its side, allowing players to shoot through the left or the right. Points were accumulated by a team for accomplishing certain feats, such as hitting the opponent’s wall or hitting the ring itself. Ultimately, though, the goal was to get the ball through the hole. If that occurred, the shooting team automatically won the game.’
Payne walked towards the left wall and stared at the ring. With an approximate diameter of a basketball hoop, it was more than 20 feet high in the air. ‘One goal and the game was over? That sounds pretty easy to me. Give me ten shots, and I bet I can make one.’
‘Trust me, my boy, it’s harder than it looks. The sport is still played in parts of Mesoamerica, and a typical game lasts for hours. Often no goals are scored.’
‘Hours? How could it last for hours?’
‘Unlike basketball, you can’t use your hands. Players were forced to use their elbows, hips and legs.’
Payne laughed. ‘Yeah, that would do it.’
‘Plus the balls were rather unwieldy.’
‘How so?’
‘They were eight inches in diameter and made of solid rubber. No bladders. No air pumps. No inflation. Solid rubber balls weighing eight to nine pounds each.’
‘That’s like a bowling ball.’
‘A bowling ball that bounced rather high. Of all the inventions the Spanish found in the New World, they were most amazed by the rubber balls. They’d never seen such a thing before.’
‘I guess that says something about the common man. Who cares about the giant pyramid? Tell me more about the bouncy thing. That cracks me up.’
Ulster smiled. ‘Because of the ball’s weight, they wore equipment like American football players. Helmets, arm pads, knee pads and so on. The sport was so brutal that some players died during the game. According to the Spanish, headshots and stomach shots were particularly fatal.’