Ulama is the modern decendant of the Mesoamerican ball game that used to so popular among all the peoples of pre-Columbian era, the ancestors of modern Mexicans, Aztecs included among them.
Evidence of this game has been found all the way to El Salvador, and in the American state of Arizona. Its roots are thought to reach the 2nd millenium BCE, with religious and ritual significance deepening its significance for ancient native peoples.
Today the game is still popular among some isolated native tribes such as the Sinaloa (which is also a state in mexico) who still adhere to the ancient customs in manuifacturing the rubber ball, and wear the traditional attire while playing the game. It is striking that there has been little difference in the production of the balls over the thousands of years during which the game has enjoyed popularity, as evidenced by the relics found in excavations in various parts of the American continent.
PEMEX, the mexican oil giant is a state owned company that controls, owns, and operates mexico’s petroleum reserves. In terms of revenues, it is the 10th largest oil company in the world.
Althought asphalt and pitch were known and used in MExico since the earliest days of the Aztecs, until 1938, foreign companies owned most of the oil wells in Mexico. That changed when Mexican president Lazaro Cardenas decided to nationalize and monopolize the oil industry in the nation, creating the PEMEX conglomerate. Although many national governments responded to the development with boycotts and embargoes, PEMEX eventually grew to become one of the largest oil exporting in the world.
PEMEX supplied all the petroleum stations in Mexico. In addition, its wells in the Gulf of MExico supply all parts of the world with oil, not to mention the gas-guzzling rich nation to the north.
The Mesoamerican ballgame has a history of 3000 years, and a surviving variant of it is still played among various indigenous peoples even today. It’s rules are not known anymore, but some extrapolations can be made from the rules of the modern game ulama.
In a strange twist, the most popular and widespread version of the game had players strike the ball with their hips, although sometimes items like rackets, or forearms and handstones could also be used. The game had ritual aspects, and it was different from the game of today where the sole goal is the relieving of stress and generation of excitement.
It was even played by women and children on occasions, and judging from narratives and the number of surviving ball courts, it was much loved. Aztecs, athe ancestors of modern Mexicans, were popularizers of the game too.
Photos are from Wikipedia. The one at the top shows the large ball court in Monte Alban.
Cholula de Rivadavia, as it is officially called, is an important mexican city in the state of Puebla. It is deivided into three parts called, San Pedro de Cholula, San Andres Cholula, and Santa Isabel Cholula, which is a more rural part of the city.
The greater glory of Cholula was perhaps achieved in the pre-Columbian era, wiith the location being home to a major Mexican city after the second century BCE. The area was inhabited for thousands of years before that time also the ruins and remains of which are a powerful attraction to tourists today.
Cholula is home to the famous grand pyramid which is the largest pyramid in the world by volume. It is a huge and imposing stone structure that is the center of attention for visitors of all kinds.
San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan is one of the most important locations for students of Olmec archaeology. It is located in the mexican state of Veracruz in the Coatzacoalcos basin
The earliest signs of Olmec activity are present at Elmanati, where evidence of sacrifices in bogs gives clear indication of organized human behavior. Between 1200 and 900 BCE the area was an extremely important center of the Olmec civilization. After a brief abandonement between 900 and 600, the are was again of great significance between 600 and 400 BCE, and then between 800 and 100 CE.
San Lorenzo appears to have been a religious and agricultural settlement from its early days right up to the final days of its existence. This contrasts with the other major centers of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, where civic and political activity was usually provided the central features of important population centers.
Today the region can be visited on Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 to 15:00 hours local time.
La Venta is an important Olmec center in the mexican state of Tabasco. Along with San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, and Tres Zapotes, La Venta was one of the cradles of Olmec civilization.
The site was located on the coast of the then active Rio Palma river, and by 1200 BCE it had already acquired the characteristics of a major cultural and political center.Unlike the other important centers of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica it was built of clay and earthen materials due to the scarcity of stone in the region.
Today, the entire southern section of the site is covered by petroleum refineries, complicating the task of excavating the ruins for further knowledge about the history of the Olmecs. Also, some of the important monuments in the location have been moved to parks and museums. Nonetheless, this ancient and exciting destination still offers a lot in the way of wonder and marvel for the tourist, and the casual traveler.
Mani is an ancient settlement in Yucatan. Studies show that it has been inhabited continously for almost 4000 years, dating from the earliest days of the Maya. After the Spanish conquest, the city became a small center of colonial development and culture, and the architecture and style of that period provide some of the important hallmarks of the location. Also, the Xiu Maya people had their capital at Mani, which has made it an important mine of information for scientists.
The people of Mani, the Xiu, allied themselves with the Spanish upon their arrival and fought the Aztecs together. Later they were one of the peoples evangelized by the church, and there are surviving monasteries and churches in the location to this day. Restoration work is still ongoing.
