Researchers have identified the name of a Maya astronomer-mathematician from around 1200 years ago along with his calculations on planetary orbits. The discovery comes from inscriptions at a site in Guatemala. It marks the first time such a personal name has been directly linked to astronomical work in the Americas.
The name Sak Tahn Waax, translating to White-chested Fox, appears on a mural known as Text 19 at Xultun in Guatemala. The text includes 11 hieroglyphs that outline cycles involving a 260-day calendar, a 365-day solar year, Venus at 584 days and Mars at 780 days. The formula totals five Venus cycles, or 2920 days, and most likely refers to 7 November in AD 781.
Franco Rossi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology led the decipherment. He described it as the first direct mention of an ancestral Maya astronomer-mathematician by personal name and the oldest such name recorded anywhere in the Americas.
The mural is one of about 50 rough drafts found inside a small masonry building since excavations began in 2010. Researchers scanned and photographed the hieroglyphs under varied lighting before comparing them with later Maya writings.
Rossi noted that the work demonstrates the importance of intellectual contributions to Classic Maya society and could have supported political ceremonies and seasonal planning.
