Emily Chan
At an ancient Maya ball court in Mexico, traces of several plants with hallucinogenic properties were found. It is believed that they may have been used as part of a special ritual.
A team of archaeologists unearthed the bundle of botanicals while conducting fieldwork in the ancient Maya city of Yaxnohcah on the Yucatán Peninsula.
The latest findings have provided researchers with a glimpse into what ritual life was like for the ancient Maya.
“For millennia, healing and psychoactive plants have been part of the medicinal and ceremonial fabric of elaborate rituals and everyday religious practices throughout Mesoamerica,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
“Despite the essential nature of these ritual practices to the societal framework of past cultures, a clear understanding of the ceremonial life of the ancient Maya remains stubbornly elusive.”
Ancient texts, artwork, and well-preserved artifacts have served as the primary sources of information for Maya rituals.
It is rare for plants associated with ceremonial activities to be preserved because the tropical climate conditions in the Maya region do not allow it.
But in the new study, researchers were able to perform an environmental DNA analysis of soil samples they had taken from the site.
The analysis revealed the 2,000-year-old remnants of four different types of plants that were often used by the Maya and had “religious associations and medicinal properties.”
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
