16" Pre-Colombian Gaming Yoke from the Byron Knoblock Collection-pictured in Who's Who in Indian Relics, Vol. 1. broken and glued-12 3/8" Wide, with nice finishThe Yoke and Its Significance in the Mesoamerican Ball Game: One of the most salient artifacts associated with the ball game is a stone belt, also named a yoke by the Spanish. A yoke is generally u-shaped and made out of various stone, such as diorite, basalt or other fine stones. In general, the predominant view among scholars is agreed to be that the stone belt was used during the ball game. These belts remarkably fit around a person’s waist fairly well. The purpose of wearing a yoke during the game is believed to have been to add more weight on the player in order to hit the large, heavy ball with a greater force. This force would propel the ball at a higher velocity and longer range. The function of these stone belts can be paralleled to the Puerto Rican stone “collars” which were worn during the ball game. By comparing similar artifacts of other cultures, archaeologists can make a good predication as to how the object was actually used in Mesoamerica. Also through experimental archaeology, archaeologists have put on the belt and simulated its use to test different functions of the belt.-Leslie Arapi, University of Pennsylvania

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