Name of Ancient Maya Astronomer-Mathematician Deciphered for the First Time
Researchers say the inscription is the first Classic Maya mathematical work tied to a named individual and reveals calculations for Venus and other cycles.
- On Monday, researchers publishing in Antiquity identified Sak Tahn Waax, an ancient Maya mathematician-astronomer, from hieroglyphs discovered at the Xultun site in Guatemala.
- Archaeologists found the name among 11 hieroglyphs within more than 50 faint mathematical 'microtexts' etched into the walls of structure 10K-2, an ancient residential chamber.
- The inscription features a mathematical formula dating to AD 781 tracking Venus and Mars movements. Mayanist David Stuart noted the math shows "unique understanding of connections and patterns between several cycles of time."
- This discovery marks the first time scientists have identified a Mesoamerican mathematician by name. Archaeologist Heather Hurst of Skidmore College called it a "mic-drop moment," adding personal dimension to ancient scientific traditions.
- Researchers plan to continue surveying Xultun, where 900 hectares of urban zone remain covered by forest. Further study of wall inscriptions may reveal additional scribal hands and more work by the mathematician-astronomer.
17 Articles
17 Articles
The experts succeeded in transcribing the wall symbols of the archaeological site San Bartolo-Xultun, the Mayan remains on the Mexican border dating from -400 to 900 AD. At Xultun, the researchers found a "complete mathematical and astronomical formula". Its author: Sak Tahn Waax, which can be translated as "Zorro de Pecho Blanco" (White-breasted Fox), explained the Minister of Culture, Luis Mendez, at a press conference. He claimed that this wa…
Researchers have identified for the first time the full name of a mathematician and astronomer of Mayan civilization at the site of San Bartolo-Xultun "White-breasted Fox":
Name of 1,200-Year-Old Mayan Astronomer Confirmed for the First Time; Meaning of Name: White-Breasted Fox. The name of an astronomer who was active in the ancient Mayan civilization over 1,200 years ago, a time when astronomy was highly developed, has been confirmed for the first time. The Mayans used a calendar that divided the year into 365 days and even calculated the timing of solar and lunar eclipses. Mayan science, which had previously bee…
'Raposa De Peito Branco': Name of First Astronomer and Mathematician Maya Is Deciphered in Guatemala
A group of archaeologists in Guatemala deciphered the first known full name of a Mayan astronomer and mathematician, "Raposa de Peito Branco", in an area that contains the oldest written evidence of this ancestral culture, reported official sources on Monday. Experts decoded a hieroglyphic text found in a mural in the Archaeological Project of San Bartolo-Xultún, two Mayan cities that existed between 400 BC and 900 AD. They are located in the fo…
The experts succeeded in transcribing wall symbols of the archaeological site San Bartolo-Xultun, Mayan remains on the Mexican border dating from -400 to 900 AD.
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