Take me out to the Ball Court: Investigating Processional Architecture and Maya Ball Court Variability in the Southeastern Three Rivers Adaptive Region, Belize

In 2022, the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) collected lidar data on approximately 650 km2 around the Maya site of Chan Chich, Belize, revealing the extent of urbanization far beyond what was previously thought. GIS analysis identified 25 ball courts at 20 different sites in the dataset. A ball court was part of a ceremonial landscape, where architecture was utilized and imbued with significance through ritual performances. In a 2006 article, Takeshi Inomata explored the political significance of various architectural elements, such as plazas, staircases, and sacbeob, as stages for rituals and performances as well as for viewing areas for spectators. The role of ball courts within this framework, however, was not mentioned. Drawing on Inomata’s model, the 2022 lidar data, the archaeological excavation of a double ball court at Ayiin Winik during the 2024 field season, and pXRF soil geochemical analysis, this thesis suggests that ball courts were strategically positioned and designed to facilitate ceremonial processions and communal rituals, thus playing a crucial role in the socio-political fabric of Maya sites and their layout. Spatial analysis showed that 56% of the ball courts in the lidar data were directly integrated with other civic-ceremonial architectural elements—such as sacbeob, structures with stairways, or large plaza complexes—suggesting intentional planning and alignment within ritual landscapes. Excavations revealed a stepped design of the Ayiin Winik ball court, and, along with its placement and access points, the data suggest intentional facilitation of structured movement through the space. pXRF soil analysis conducted around the ball court revealed elevated phosphorus concentrations, suggesting food-related activity, while a midden located near the adjacent sacbe further supports the interpretation of feasting in association with ceremonial movement and gathering. These findings support the hypothesis that ball courts were multifunctional spaces for socio-political and ritual activities, strategically positioned to facilitate ceremonial processions and communal gatherings.