Experts have found a 'special' ritual deposit below an ancient ball court that includes psychoactive and ceremonial plant remains.
Archaeologists have uncovered an intriguing ritual deposit below an ancient Maya ball court in Mexico—and it could indicate that the structure was blessed in a special ceremony.An international team of researchers subsequently analyzed the 'special' deposit—unearthed in the ancient Maya city of Yaxnohcah—finding that it contained traces of several plants used in ceremonial rituals, a study published in the journal PLOS ONE reported.
Nevertheless, it is believed that it was used in divination rituals, a practice intended to facilitate direct interaction with the spirits to see into the future.Chili peppers, meanwhile, were used by the ancient Maya to treat a variety of illnesses—thus, such ceremonial offerings may have been intended to ward off disease. These plants have also been associated with divination rituals.'We think of chili as a spice. But it was much more than that for the ancient Maya.
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