After the first flowering of Olmec culture, the focus of Gulf Coast civilisation gradually shifted northward to the regional capital and ceremonial centre of El Tajin. A vigorous and distinctive art style spread from southern Veracruz, eventually to exert an influence at Teotihuacan and the Toltec capital of Tula in the central highlands.

A constant flow of ideas and trade strengthened the connections between the Gulf Coast lowlands and successive highland cultures. One expression of this was the development of a ritual ball game, variants of which were widely adopted throughout Mesoamerica. Sanctuaries and shrines which originally formed the focus of local cults became part of a more extensive 'sacred geography' that embraced mountains, lakes and islands. Over the centuries seasonal rites and ceremonies were incorporated into an agricultural calendar which revolved around the seasons.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.

Scanned : Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)