In 781, a Maya scientist signed a mathematical formula—1,200 years later, archaeologists finally learned his name

Archaeologists have identified Sak Tahn Waax, meaning "White-Chested Fox," as the author of a mathematical formula painted on the walls of an ancient Maya room in AD 781, making him the earliest known mathematician-astronomer from the ancient Americas whose work can be directly linked to his name.

The inscription, discovered in Structure 10K-2 at the ancient Maya city of Xultun in present-day Guatemala, combines calculations tracking the movements of Venus and Mars with multiple Maya calendar cycles. According to a study published in Antiquity, the final glyphs include a phrase meaning "so says," followed by Sak Tahn Waax's name, identifying him as the author or authority behind the mathematical formula.

The chamber first gained international attention in 2012 after archaeologists uncovered walls covered with astronomical tables, painted figures, and numerical calculations. A fresh analysis of a previously undeciphered inscription has now revealed a compact mathematical formula that links 780-day Mars cycles, Venus observations, and several Maya calendrical systems over an eight-year period.


Researchers reconstructed the damaged opening glyphs and concluded that the most likely starting date for the calculations is November 11, AD 781, placing the work near the end of the Classic Maya period. More than 50 draft calculations and astronomical tables cover the room's walls, suggesting it served as a workspace where specialists developed and refined complex calendrical computations rather than simply recording finished results, according to Science News.

The mathematical formula highlights the sophistication of Maya astronomy. According to the Antiquity study, the inscription records a 1,560-day interval, equal to two complete Mars cycles of 780 days, while remaining synchronized with Venus and the broader Maya calendar system. Such calculations would have helped Maya astronomers determine favorable dates for ceremonies, royal events, and religious observances years in advance.

The findings also indicate that Maya scholars were developing advanced mathematical techniques long before many surviving Maya manuscripts were created. Nature reported that these calculations predate similar astronomical tables preserved in surviving Maya codices, demonstrating that the scientific work carried out at Xultun was centuries ahead of later written records.

Until now, historians had identified the names of Maya rulers, nobles, and artists because they frequently signed monuments and artworks, while scientists remained anonymous. According to the researchers, Sak Tahn Waax's signed formula is the only known example from the Classic Maya period in which a mathematician-astronomer is explicitly identified by name, suggesting that intellectual authorship was valued enough to be preserved alongside the calculation itself.

The discovery also reshapes scholars' understanding of Maya scientific culture. Rather than viewing astronomical knowledge as an anonymous tradition, archaeologists now have evidence that individual experts received recognition for their work more than 1,200 years ago. According to Science News, Sak Tahn Waax can now be counted among the earliest named astronomers in history whose scientific work still survives today.