Ruins of Monte Alban
The Valley of Oaxaca is a geographic region located within the modern day State of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The valley, which is located within the Sierra Madre Mountains, is shaped like a distorted and almost upside-down “Y,” with each of its arms bearing specific names. The Valley of Oaxaca was home to the Zapotec civilization, one of the earliest complex societies in Mesoamerica, and the later Mixtec culture. A number of important and well-known archaeological sites are found in the Valley of Oaxaca, including Monte Alban, Mitla, and San José Mogote.
Here are some of my wife's pix from her recent trip to Oaxaca. This is Monte Alban...by 400 BC, this site, which is located atop a 400 m tall artificially-leveled mountain and completely lacking in easily-accessible water sources, had a population of ca. 5,200.
Mesoamerican's played a ball game with similarities to modern soccer. The ball game was intense. The players, dressed in padded clothes for protection, dashed up and down the court, skillfully moving the ball, using only their shoulders, knees, elbows and hips. Everyone in the city will watch, but the most intent spectators are the priests, who interpret the will of the Gods by the actions of the ball and the players. At the end of the game, the winners will have brought prosperity to the region they represent. The losers, however, will march off sadly—their loss has shown that the Gods are displeased with them and their city-state. The only remedy: the losing team must be sacrificed. The skull of the losing captain will form the core of the hard rubber ball that is used in the next game
According to some scholars, these skulls also represent proof early Trepanation: surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, thus exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial disease
Back to watching the Olympics. Been watching the gymnastics portion this evening. My god, after watching the Chinese men and women, why bother continuing with the competition?
Here are some of my wife's pix from her recent trip to Oaxaca. This is Monte Alban...by 400 BC, this site, which is located atop a 400 m tall artificially-leveled mountain and completely lacking in easily-accessible water sources, had a population of ca. 5,200.
Mesoamerican's played a ball game with similarities to modern soccer. The ball game was intense. The players, dressed in padded clothes for protection, dashed up and down the court, skillfully moving the ball, using only their shoulders, knees, elbows and hips. Everyone in the city will watch, but the most intent spectators are the priests, who interpret the will of the Gods by the actions of the ball and the players. At the end of the game, the winners will have brought prosperity to the region they represent. The losers, however, will march off sadly—their loss has shown that the Gods are displeased with them and their city-state. The only remedy: the losing team must be sacrificed. The skull of the losing captain will form the core of the hard rubber ball that is used in the next game
According to some scholars, these skulls also represent proof early Trepanation: surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, thus exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial disease
Back to watching the Olympics. Been watching the gymnastics portion this evening. My god, after watching the Chinese men and women, why bother continuing with the competition?
posted by supergoober at
10:14 PM
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