A wall covered in nearly faded signs has just revealed the identity of a Maya scholar who lived about 1,200 years ago.
In a small room in Xultun, Guatemala, researchers reconstructed a formula combining mathematics, calendars, and planetary movements. Two glyphs placed after it designate a certain Sak Tahn Waax.
Pixabay illustration image
His name can be translated as "White-chested Fox." He is the first Maya mathematician-astronomer from the classic period identified through a specific work. Until now, preserved calculations bore witness to collective knowledge, without revealing their authors. This short signature now gives a face, or at least a name, to this scientific tradition.
The formula consists of eleven blocks of black glyphs, arranged in a shape evoking an inverted "L." It presents five dates, separated by precisely calculated intervals. These numbers combine several calendar and astronomical cycles, notably those associated with Mars and Venus. Their organization does not correspond to any previously known Maya formula.
It was probably not a simple decorative inscription. Researchers rather see it as an exercise intended to make different celestial rhythms coincide with human calendars. These connections could be used to predict certain phenomena, organize seasons, or choose the time for political and religious ceremonies. The sky then directly influenced the functioning of society.
The room itself bears a striking resemblance to an ancient workspace. Its walls bear about fifty short mathematical and astronomical texts, sometimes superimposed over older paintings. Some calculations still seem provisional. For archaeologists, this place could have served as a workshop, a teaching room, and a preparation site for Maya codices.
Specialists had to make an inscription measuring less than 20 cm high, weakened by humidity and roots, speak. Color photographs and multispectral images revealed traces invisible to the naked eye. Each sign was then compared to known forms of Maya writing, before the progressive reconstruction of the whole.
The last part contains an unusual formula that can be understood as "thus speaks Sak Tahn Waax." He may have written these words himself. Another person could also have attributed the calculation to him. In both cases, this mention resembles an intellectual claim, almost a signature affixed at the bottom of a reasoning deemed particularly successful.
This discovery especially shows that Maya knowledge also relied on the work of identifiable specialists. Without a telescope or computer, they combined long observations with an elaborate numerical system. The walls of Xultun thus preserve more than a formula. They offer a rare glimpse into the methods, hesitations, and creativity of an 8th-century scientist.