For the first time, archaeologists have identified an ancient Maya astronomer-mathematician by name, deciphering his 1,200-year-old planetary calculations from a mural in Guatemala. The discovery marks the oldest recorded name of an astronomer-mathematician known in the Americas, offering a rare, personal glimpse into the intellectual achievements of the Classic Maya period.
The name, Sak Tahn Waax—which translates to "White-chested Fox"—was decoded from a masonry building at the archaeological site of Xultun. Researchers believe he was the author of a complex mathematical formula inscribed on the building’s walls, which served as rough drafts for charting celestial movements.
Decrypting the formula, known as Text 19, required researchers to use advanced scanning and photography under various lighting angles to clarify 11 eroded hieroglyphs. The resulting calculations reveal a sophisticated tracking system that aligns a 260-day calendar and a 365-day solar calendar with the synodic cycles of Venus (584 days) and Mars (780 days). The formula spans a total of 2,920 days, equivalent to five Venus cycles, and points to a specific date: November 7, AD 781 in the Julian calendar.
While mathematical expertise was widespread across Maya cities, finding a specific creator's name attached to a formula is unprecedented. Scribes rarely signed their calculations, making Sak Tahn Waax’s designation uniquely significant. Researchers suggest that these calculations were not merely academic; they helped align celestial phenomena with human timekeeping, shaping political ceremonies, agriculture, and predictive astronomy long before the advent of modern technology.