Archaeologists decipher name of Mayan astronomer for first time in history: 'Wonderful discovery!'

Researchers have successfully identified an ancient Maya astronomer-mathematician by name for the first time in history.

The individual, known as Sak Tahn Waax, or the white-chested fox in English, was discovered through analysis of mural inscriptions at the San Bartolo-Xultun archaeological site in Guatemala.

The country's culture minister Luis Mendez announced scientists at Xultun had uncovered a "complete mathematical and astronomical formula" created by the ancient scholar.

The drawings containing the name date from between 400 BC and 900 AD.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

According to Mr Mendez, this represents the sole work of its kind attributed to a mathematician from the Maya Classic period, widely regarded as the zenith of Mesoamerican civilisation.

The breakthrough came through painstaking decipherment of a mural designated Text 19, which comprises 11 hieroglyphs.

Scientists employed multiple techniques, including scanning, photography and magnification under varying light angles, to unlock its meaning.

The inscription contains sophisticated astronomical calculations predicting the orbital patterns of both Mars and Venus.

Researchers believe the formula most likely corresponds to November 7, 781 AD in the Julian calendar, placing Sak Tahn Waax's work approximately 1,200 years in the past.

The ministry stated the identification was "made possible by the epigraphic analysis of more than 50 mathematical and astronomical microtexts written on the wall".

Franco Rossi, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, emphasised the historic nature of the find.

"This is the first direct mention of an ancestral Maya astronomer-mathematician by personal name," he stated.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Archaeologists discover 3,000-year-old tomb next to Ancient Egyptian necropolis
• Strange objects 'unlike anything ever found' spotted lurking below North Sea by scientists
• Rare carving of protective spirit dating back 1,600 years unearthed near Hadrian’s Wall

The discovery also marks the earliest recorded name of any astronomer-mathematician from anywhere in the Americas, according to Mr Rossi.

The researcher noted whilst similar mathematical and astronomical expertise appears across various Maya cities, the attribution to a specific individual makes this find exceptional.

Mr Rossi believes Sak Tahn Waax was probably male, although whether the scribe signed his own work or credited another intellectual remains uncertain.

The formula incorporated an intricate web of calendar systems used by the Maya civilisation.

These included a 260-day calendar, a 365-day solar calendar, a 584-day approximation of Venus's synodic cycle, and a 780-day approximation for Mars.

The total span of the calculation extends to five Venus synodic cycles, equating to 2,920 days.

"We think it is meant to concisely and meaningfully show the relationship between these two planets and human counts of time in ways that could then be applied to political ceremony, predictive astronomy and understandings of seasonality," Mr Rossi explained.

Such precise mathematical work would have been essential for organising daily life before modern technology existed.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter