Dr. Blomster's paper, Early evidence of the ballgame in Oaxaca,Mexico, is featured in the latest issue of Proceedings in the National Academies of Science (PNAS). Dr. Blomster, GW associate professor of anthropology, has spent 20years researching the origin of complex societies in Mesoamerica.The participation of early Mixtec societies in ballgame imagery isa new aspect of his research. For the journal publication, Dr.Blomster worked with undergraduate students Izack Nacheman andJoseph DiVirgilio to create artistic renditions of the figurineartifacts found in Mexico. While early games used a hard rubber ball, the ballgames Dr.Blomster researches bear little resemblance to today's Major LeagueBaseball. The games and the costumes or uniforms participants worewere tied to themes of life and death, mortals and underworlddeities or symbolizing the sun and the moon. In some instances, theballcourt itself represented a portal to the underworld. According to Dr. Blomster, "Because the ballgame is associatedwith the rise of complex societies, understanding its origins alsoilluminates the evolution of socio-politically complexsocieties." During the Early Horizon period, or roughly between 1400 BCE(Before the Common Era) and 1700 BCE, there was little evidence ofballgame activity in the way of artifacts in the Oaxaca region ofMexico. Dr. Blomster's findings of a clay figurine garbed indistinctive ballgame costume, similar to both Olmec figurines andmonumental sculptures from the Gulf Coast, indicate such engagementdid take place in the area. "Exploring the origins and spread of the ballgame is centralto understanding the development of the Mesoamericancivilization," he said. "We know there were earlierversions of a ballgame prior to the Early Horizon with both aballcourt and rubber balls found in coastal Chiapas and the GulfCoast, but the institutionalized version of the ballgame, ahallmark of Mesoamerican civilizations, developed during the EarlyHorizon. While there has been some limited evidence about theparticipation of the nearby Valley of Oaxaca in the ballgame, theMixteca has largely been written off in terms of involvement in theorigins of complex society in ancient Mexico. This discoveryreemphasizes how the ancient Mixtecs were active participants inlarger Mesoamerican phenomenon.". The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Suspended Platform Parts Manufacturer , China Aerial Work Platform, and more. For more , please visit Suspended Platform Cradle today!
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