An ancient Maya astronomer finally has a name
Researchers have identified Sak Tahn Waax, a Classic Maya astronomer, as the author of an ancient calendrical formula. The discovery credits a mathematician for work that tracks celestial cycles over eight years, shedding new light on Maya science. This helps historians recognize individual contributions to early astronomy.
Sak Tahn Waax, or “White-Chested Fox,” is credited as the author of a calendrical formula painted in Maya glyphs on the wall of a ruin in Guatemala, researchers report July 14 in Antiquity. The table of dates and calculations, recorded more than 1,200 years ago, lays out relationships among the cycl…
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