Central America

First Named Maya Astronomer Identified in Xultun Inscription

Does this matter more for putting a face to Maya science or showing science's place in Maya society?

Published JUL 15

First Named Maya Astronomer Identified in Xultun Inscription

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Above: Ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal National Park in Guatemala, on March 18, 2026. Image credit: Bernd von Jutrczenka/Picture Alliance/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

Decoding a painted wall at Xultun finally puts a name to Maya science — Sak Tahn Waax, or "White-chested Fox," is now the first known Classic Maya mathematician. For centuries, artists and scribes got credit while the scholars behind complex planetary calculations stayed anonymous. This inscription changes that, placing an Indigenous Maya thinker alongside named scientists from Greece, China and Mesopotamia.

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Narrative B

The Xultun inscription doesn't just name Sak Tahn Waax, it proves that this kind of specialized mathematical and astronomical work was both valued and widespread in Classic Maya society. The formula itself is unique, offering a novel approach to tracking Venus and Mars that no other known Maya text presents. That an ancient scholar signed original scientific work signals just how seriously Maya civilization took intellectual contribution.

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