The processes that accompany the transition to social and political inequality have perplexed
archeologists in their attempts to explain the emergence of complex society. Over the past
decade, archaeological excavations in the Mazatan region of Chiapas, Mexico, has yielded
new information on the processes surrounding this social and political transformation. Most
recently, the earliest known ballcourt was discovered at the site of Paso de la Amada in the
Mazatan region. This ballcourt predates all other known ballcourts by more than 500 years.
For over 2500 years, ballcourts and the associated ballgame formed an integral part of
religious, social, and political life of Mesoamerican complex societies. The tremendous
success of the ballgame lies in its ability to act as a medium of social and political integration
while simultaneously encouraging intense rivalry. This dissertation uses ballcourts and
competitive games to address the larger question of how social and political inequality
evolves. Using architectural, artifactual, and settlement pattern data, I argue that an emerging
complex society was involved in the construction and use of the ballcourt at Paso de la
Amada. I suggest that elites sponsored the ballcourt construction, enabling them to expand
their regional networks and enhance their own social positions. I present evidence to support
these claims, and review several existing models for the emergence of complex society in
light of this discovery. I conclude that competitive games and gaming facilities, such as
ballcourts, played a crucial role in the emergence of complex society in Mesoamerica and
have significant implications for how this process is modeled. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/9880 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Hill, Warren D. |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 18366053 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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