Work to protect an early Maya ball court has been completed in Yucatán after its discovery during construction linked to the Maya Train freight project.
The structure lies near Poxilá, in the municipality of Umán, within the state of Yucatán. It was identified in 2024 during survey work ahead of building a cargo transfer terminal. Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) later confirmed that the remains were at risk, with signs of stone removal and damage to the internal structure.
To prevent further loss, a consolidation programme was carried out between October and December 2025. The work focused on stabilising the court’s foundations and preserving what survives of its layout. Construction plans for the surrounding development were adjusted in coordination with the Ministry of National Defence to avoid damaging the protected area.
Mexico’s Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, said the aim was to ensure that important archaeological remains are preserved and remain accessible for study and for local communities.
On site, teams began by clearing vegetation that had taken hold across the structure. Roots and debris were removed to expose the original surfaces. Measurements were then checked and corrected, and unstable material within the walls was taken out. The remaining foundations were reinforced to improve stability and retain the form recorded during excavation.
The ball court dates to between 800 and 300 BC, placing it in the Middle Preclassic period. Examples from this era are uncommon in north-western Yucatán, particularly those that have been fully excavated, which makes the site significant despite its condition.
The layout is straightforward. Two parallel platforms run along a north–south axis, each about 15.5 metres long and just under five metres wide, standing around 0.85 metres high. At the southern end, an extended platform marks what is understood to be the end zone. The playing area sits between the platforms and measures roughly 15.5 metres by 4.5 metres.
Much of the structure has deteriorated. Archaeologists did not find clear traces of a sloping bench, a feature often associated with Maya ball courts. Its absence makes it difficult to reconstruct how the court functioned in detail. At other sites, similar courts include sloping stone benches, suggesting a consistent way of playing. Here, the differences may point to variation in use or to an earlier stage in the development of the game.
Later sites such as Oxkintok and Cobá, dating to the Early Classic period, show more developed features, including the sloped elements not seen at Chichan Panadero. This contrast helps place the structure within a longer sequence of architectural change.
The excavation has also provided material for ongoing study into how ball games were organised in early Maya communities. While the court itself is the main feature, its setting and construction add to the limited evidence available for this period in the region.
Local residents have taken part in the work at the cargo terminal site, assisting with the broader salvage effort. Areas around the court have also been replanted with native species in coordination with environmental groups.
Although much remains under study, the site has already added to understanding of early Maya construction and activity in this part of Yucatán. The preserved remains offer a record of a structure type that is rarely documented at this stage in Maya history.
Sources : INAH
