Patolli Petroglyphs in Northeast Honduras

Abstract

Patollipetroglyphs were recently identified at two archaeological sites in northeast Honduras.Patolliis a Mesoamerican game of chance described in ethnohistoric sources and documented in archaeological contexts in many parts of Mesoamerica. Thus, it has been characterized as an important element of Mesoamerican culture. The existence ofpatolliboards at Plan Grande, on the island of Guanaja, and at Sawacito in northeast Honduras shows that the practice of the game extended farther to the east than earlier presumed and indicates long-distance interaction. Given the considerable number of fivepatollipetroglyphs at Plan Grande, I characterize the site as an important center.