Archaeologists have identified Saktahnwaax (“White-Chested Fox”), the first known named scientist in the pre-Columbian Americas, through mathematical and astronomical formulas inscribed in a Maya chamber in Guatemala. The discovery, published in *Antiquity*, redefines understanding of Maya scientific traditions.
In 2010, archaeologist David Stuart and colleagues uncovered a painted chamber at Xultun, a Maya site in modern-day Guatemala, containing complex mathematical and astronomical formulas. A recent analysis of the site, published in *Antiquity*, revealed the name “Saktahnwaax” (“White-Chested Fox”) inscribed alongside the calculations, marking the first known named scientist from the pre-Columbian Americas. The findings, led by Stuart of the University of Texas in Austin, suggest the Maya had a sophisticated approach to timekeeping and celestial observation.
Decoding the Ancient Mind
Stuart described the discovery as akin to “finding the whiteboard of an ancient scientist’s office,” noting the formulas’ “unique and elegant” integration of time and astronomy. The team used scale drawings and digitally enhanced photographs to decode the texts, with Stuart emphasizing that the Maya were “very keen observers of nature, and they were always looking at patterns and connections (like any scientist).”
Franco Rossi, an archaeologist at MIT, uncovered the name through multispectral imaging of Text 19, found at structure 10k-2 at Xultun. The materials within the 10K-2 structure date to the second half of the 8th century, predating the Maya collapse. Rossi described the moment of discovery as an “epiphany,” after adjusting shading and color in software to reveal the name. “You can look at some of these texts forever, and it won’t click,” he said. “Then, one day you see it, and it just clicks.”
A New Lens on Maya Science
The identification of Saktahnwaax is the first named scientist from the pre-Columbian Americas. Stuart noted that so far, archaeologists had only identified names of Maya kings, queens, or other political figures. By naming Saktahnwaax, the research highlights that the Maya were a culture immersed in scientific inquiry in a sophisticated way. The Maya adopted scientific traditions completely independent from those of the “Old World,” Stuart explained.
The discovery also underscores the Maya’s independent scientific development. As Science magazine observed in a 2022 essay, Western science “belatedly” discovered an appreciation for the sophistication of Maya science. The Maya were paying close attention to the same celestial phenomena as everyone else and meticulously “integrating their cycles into some unified vision of time,” Stuart added.
Context and Uncertainties
The Xultun chamber’s inscriptions were found amid a broader network of Maya sites, including the recently discovered city of Minanbé in Mexico’s Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. While Minanbé’s discovery, reported by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), focuses on urban layouts, temples, and stelae, it illustrates the Maya’s advanced societal structures. The connection between Minanbé and Saktahnwaax is not established in the provided sources.
Despite the breakthrough, questions linger. Stuart noted that “some are still obscure, and there are a few we still need to study.” The team was careful not to jump to conclusions, wanting to rule out “all other possibilities” before interpreting the signature. For now, the name “Saktahnwaax” stands as a testament to the intellectual legacy of a civilization that practiced sophisticated scientific inquiry.
The discovery has reignited interest in Maya scientific texts. As Stuart noted, “I think it’s incredibly important that the Maya be seen as a culture that was immersed in scientific inquiry and in a sophisticated way.”
The findings, published in *Antiquity*, are expected to influence future studies of ancient scientific traditions. The story underscores the Maya’s role in timekeeping and celestial observation—a legacy now anchored by a name and a formula.
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