Just reading an article in the Daily Mail about a game played by the ancient Mayan civilisation which had rules similar to squash.
The report states: “There was one crucial difference, though – the losers would sometimes become human sacrifices.”
The article refers to an exhibition of Mayan art about to go on show at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, which includes protective gear used by the Mayans when they played their version of squash.
Apparently, the idea was to keep the ball in play for as long as possible, and the players would wear protective gear to stop them being injured.
But this, said the report, was of scant consolation if they lost the game and were then offered up as human sacrifices.
I can see the minds of quite a few tournament referees whirring away here, thinking of how they can incorporate this ancient idea into modern codes of conduct.
If nothing else, it brings a new meaning to the phrase “Dead Nick”.
Read more:Â http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2063204/Indiana-Jones-missed-REAL-Mayan-skull–crystal-shaped-like-monkey.html#ixzz1eXzVXnRA