As kids we bought these wonderful pink rubber balls for 10 cents and
had a lot of fun playing stick ball and stoop ball. Back in the late
40s and early 50s, more household items were made from plain rubber
than today, since modern plastics and artificial rubber were just
starting to come into the marketplace.

We had rubber hoses, rubber boots, “rubbers” (for your shoes), inner
tubes and playground balls to name a few. (I can still remember that
unique smell of a new rubber product – which was probably the mold
release agent.)

We were taught in school that Charles Goodyear discovered
vulcanization in the 19th century, by accidentally spilling one of
his experimental concoctions onto a hot stove. This happened in
Sandy Hook, CT and spawned the rubber industry of the Naugatuck
river valley.

It turns out that the Mesoamerican Indians of southern Mexico and
Latin America were using rubber balls for over 3000 years. Rubber
balls have been uncovered dating back to 1500 BC. The Indians
discovered vulcanization using morning glory roots in the concoction. Vulcanization of rubber was necessary to turn the gooey rubber into
something hard that would bounce.

The Indians played a ritual ball game on courts built near temples.
When prisoners of war were forced to play the game, they were starved
before they were put on the court against their conquerors. When they
lost the ritual game they were ceremoniously executed on the court!
Their blood was spilled to appease the gods of the underworld.

A descendent of this ancient game is still played in one district of southwestern Mexico (Sinaloa) and the game is called Ulama. (The
Aztec word for ballgame is ullamaliztli). Some people are trying to
preserve the modern game as an ancient cultural and historic
artifact. Women also played the game in ancient times as well as in
today’s modern version. (No, they do not execute today’s losers!)

Documentation indicates the Mesoamerican Indians also used the
rubber for waterproofing clothes and weapons. It was formed into
sandals (Nike, look out!) and figurines. It was also burned as
incense and used as glue. The Spanish were intrigued by the rubber
and brought the plants back to Spain in the 1500s. The Spanish
rubber tress eventually found their way to Malaysia, a major rubber
growing area