Research Description:

The Possibility of Hand Yokes in the Mesoamerican Ballgame

With the help of Dr. John F. Scott, I intend to examine the possible presence of hand yokes in the Mesoamerican ballgame. This sport was, and continues to be, incredibly important to the people of Mexico and, until now, the larger yokes have been believed to have been used as protection around the waists of the players. Starting with a plain yuguito, or yoke, from the Early Formative Period (c. 1500 B.C.), I will be tracing the development and use of the handstones through exploring other yokes of a similar size stylistically as well as their presence in stela and codices. In order to do this I am meeting with the curators of several Northeastern collections and museums including the Princeton Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Yale University’s collection, and the Harvard Art Museum.

Exchanging ideas with the curators, as well as being able to see the objects up close, will offer me an incredible chance to test my theory as well as hear the opinions of the experts in this field. With these resources, including printed materials and exhibition catalogs, I hope to find a place for these smaller, and previously undefined, yokes in the history of the Mesoamerican ballgame.