Nine patollis—Mesoamerican game boards—were recently uncovered during excavation work for the Maya Train project in southeastern Mexico. The findings, believed to be more than 1,000 years old, were recorded along the free highway to Chetumal, near Xpujil in Campeche, as part of Section 7 of the construction. These ancient game boards, carved directly into stucco floors, are now undergoing preservation at a laboratory in Chetumal under the supervision of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).   Discovery and Significance of the Patolli Boards The discovery of these patollis was made as part of the archaeological rescue efforts led by the INAH during the construction of the Maya Train, which stretches 178 miles (287 kilometers) between Quintana Roo and Campeche. The game boards were found on the highway to Chetumal, in the structure called T7-44279, near the town of Xpujil, engraved on a stucco floor that measured 11.3 meters (37 feet) long and 2.8 meters (9 feet) wide. Read moreSection: ArtifactsOther ArtifactsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later