The Mesoamerican Ballgame

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive archaeological overview as of 1991
Review: The most important thing to know before buying this book is that it is *not* a comprehensive discussion of the ballgame itself, the mechanics of play, or its role in everyday life. It is, however, a comprehensive discussion of known archaological sites as of 1991 with detailed summary data for hundreds if not thousands of sites from the mayan region to the America southwest. The book is a collection of academic papers that arose out of an archaeological conference, so you should be prepared to expect highly focussed analysis and minutely detailed information with only loose continuity between chapters.

There *are* interesting discussions of the mythic and political roles of the ballgame, as discernable from ceramic art, stone art, and the mayan written record.

The production of the book is fantastic: the reproductions are amazingly clear, the drawings are superb.

In summary, this is an excellent -- although aging -- physical survey with some cultural conclusions, but it assumes considerable advance knowledge of what the ballgame is, how it is played, and its role in ordinary life.