中美洲蹴球

座落在奇琴伊察的蹴球场。

中美洲蹴球（纳瓦特尔语：ōllamalīztli，纳瓦特尔语发音：[oːlːamaˈlistɬi]；马雅语系语言：pitz；英语：Mesoamerican ballgame）是一种流行于古代中部美洲具有仪式关联的体育活动。阿兹特克版本的此类活动，是今墨西哥锡那罗亚州Ulama（或作Ollama）球类运动的前身。

中美洲蹴球有其重要仪式意义，主要的正式球赛都是作为仪式活动而举行。这项运动也被作为儿童游戏进行，且女性也可能从事于这种运动。

这种球赛与活人献祭有关，尤其是斩首。例如，埃尔塔欣有石板雕刻一个在球场上被牺牲的人，而奇琴伊察也有石板则雕刻一名被斩首且跪着的球赛参与者，蛇和植物从他的脖子上长出来，凸显牺牲血液的再生滋养力量。与这种球赛相关的祭祀主题艺术遍布整个中部美洲，从危地马拉南海岸Bilbao遗址的雕塑，到发现于墨西哥中部的文献资料中。在基切人的《波波尔·乌》也描述有关传说故事。然而，尽管牺牲与球赛有密切联系，但其中牺牲的确切机制和意义仍无法被确认；目前仍无法确知是什么人会被牺牲、在何种场合下牺牲，以及这种牺牲与球赛本身有何关联。

被发现有早于公元前1000年有关文物的遗址（以红点标示）的地图。

参考文献

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延伸阅读

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Miller, Mary Ellen. The Maya Ballgame: Rebirth in the Court of Life and Death. The Sport of Life and Death: The Mesoamerican Ballgame Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name organized by the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC. New York: Thames & Hudson. 2001: 20–31. ISBN 0-500-05108-9. OCLC 49029226. 

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外部链接

• The First Basketball: The Mesoamerican ballgame（页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆） NBA Hoops Online
• A figurine showing ballplayer gear（页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）