Archaeologists working at the ancient Maya city of Xultun in northeastern Guatemala have identified the name of a Maya astronomer for the first time. The discovery links a named individual to an original scientific work from the Classic Maya period. Researchers deciphered the name Sak Tahn Waax, meaning \u201cWhite-Chested Fox,\u201d from inscriptions found inside a small room at the archaeological site.<\/p>\n
The findings were published in the journal Antiquity and mark the first direct identification of an ancestral Maya astronomer-mathematician through a personal signature. The discovery emerged from research conducted in Structure 10K-2, a rectangular chamber uncovered in 2010 within the ruins of Xultun, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Tikal.<\/p>\n
The room contains murals depicting royal scribes as well as more than 50 faint mathematical inscriptions. Franco Rossi, an archaeologist at MIT and lead author of the study, used image-enhancement software to clarify damaged glyphs painted on the eastern wall. Among 11 hieroglyphs, researchers identified a phrase ending with a personal signature following words interpreted as \u201cthus speaks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The inscription revealed the name Sak Tahn Waax and provided evidence that the scholar deliberately attached his identity to a scientific calculation. Researchers say this is the earliest known named astronomer-mathematician documented anywhere in the Americas.<\/p>\n
The same inscriptions also contained a mathematical formula that combined the orbital cycles of Mars and Venus. The calculation produced a period of 2,920 days, equivalent to five Venus cycles around the Sun. By analyzing dates embedded in the equations, the research team determined that the formula was created in AD 781.<\/p>\n
According to project researchers, the text differs sharply from most Maya inscriptions, which commonly describe rulers, ceremonies, or political events. Instead, the writings consist largely of numerical calculations and astronomical observations.<\/p>\n
Heather Hurst, an archaeologist at Skidmore College and director of the San Bartolo-Xultun Project, described the inscriptions as an example of pure mathematics rather than historical narrative. The absence of names, titles, and event descriptions highlighted the scientific nature of the work.<\/p>\n
David Stuart, an archaeologist and epigrapher at the University of Texas at Austin who participated in the discovery, said the inscription resembles a scientist\u2019s abandoned workspace. The presence of a personal name among the calculations offers a rare glimpse into the individuals behind Maya scientific achievements.<\/p>\n
Researchers believe Sak Tahn Waax intentionally claimed authorship by placing his name alongside the formula. Such a practice has not previously been documented among known Maya mathematicians from the Classic period. The discovery provides rare evidence that intellectual authorship was recognized and expressed in Maya scholarly culture.<\/p>\n
Anthony Aveni, an archaeoastronomer at Colgate University who was not involved in the study, described the finding as one of the most significant contributions to understanding Maya science. Guatemala\u2019s Ministry of Culture also highlighted the results, noting that they place an Indigenous Maya scholar among the historical figures known for preserving and signing their intellectual work.<\/p>\n
The discovery offers a new perspective on Maya civilization by connecting scientific knowledge to a specific individual. For researchers, the identification of Sak Tahn Waax transforms ancient calculations into the work of a real person whose name has survived for more than 1,200 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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