Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Possible Ball Court at La Venta, Mexico

Abstract

LA VENTA, one of the earliest Olmec sites, is located on an island in the Tonala River which forms the boundary between the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco (18° 10′N, 94° 5′ W). The site is believed to have been built and maintained during the period from 1000 BC to 600 BC or even later1, primarily as a ceremonial or religious enclave2. For years, no ball court, usually an important feature of sacred Mesoamerican precincts, had been found at La Venta3.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Berger, R., Graham, J. R., and Heizer, R. F., Contrib. Univ. Calif. Archaeol. Res. Facility, No. 3 (Berkeley, 1967).

  2. Heizer, R. F., Dumbarton Oaks Conf. Olmecs (Washington, 1968).

  3. Heizer, R. F., 33rd Intern. Cong. Americanists, 2 (1959).

  4. Clune, jun., F. J., thesis, Univ. California (1963).

  5. Krickeberg, W., in Precolumbian American Religions (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Acosta, J. R., in Handbook of Middle American Indians, 3 (University of Texas Press, Austin, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Coe, M. D., America's First Civilization (American Heritage Publishing Co., New York, 1968).

  8. Clewlow, C. W., Cowan, R. A., O'Connell, J. F., and Benneman, C., Contrib. Univ. Calif. Archaeol Res. Facility, No. 4 (Berkeley, 1967).

  9. Coe, M. D., Dumbarton Oaks Conf. Olmecs (Washington, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Heizer, R. F., Graham, J. A., and Napton, L. K., Contrib. Univ. Calif. Archaeol. Res. Facility, No. 5 (Berkeley, 1968).

  11. Berger, R., and Libby, W. F., Radiocarbon, 10, 150 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Berger, R., and Libby, W. F., Radiocarbon, 10, 404 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Berger, R., and Libby, W. F., Radiocarbon, 11, 197 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Pollock, H. E. D., Handbook of Middle American Indians, 2 (University of Texas Press, Austin, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Stromsvik, G., Contrib. Amer. Anthropol. Hist., No. 65 (Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1952).

  16. Paddock, J., in Ancient Oaxaca (Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Sullivan, W., New York Times, March 16 (1970).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

WYSHAK, L., BERGER, R., GRAHAM, J. et al. Possible Ball Court at La Venta, Mexico. Nature 232, 650–651 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/232650a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/232650a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing