Canchas de juego de pelota en la región de palenque, chiapas: representación y política

Research on ballgame courts in the Palenque region reveals a high degree of architectural homogeneity, with consistent court sizes and spacing patterns across 12 sites. These findings suggest that the ballgame served as both a competitive and cohesive social element, reinforcing political structures beyond its traditional cultural significance. The study, conducted by the Proyecto Regional Palenque over 18 years, analyzed settlement patterns, court dimensions, and their relationship to central plazas and palace-like structures, demonstrating an average spacing of 8 km between sites. This uniformity implies a structured regional organization, where the ballgame's political symbolism was integral to social cohesion and competition.

Stuardo, R. L. (2015). Canchas de juego de pelota en la región de palenque, chiapas: representación y política. Anales de Antropología, 49(1), 135–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0185-1225(15)71647-4