Xultun

Xultún is a large Maya archaeological site located 40 km northeast of Tikal and 8 km south of the smaller Preclassic site of San Bartolo in northern Guatemala [1]. The site, which once supported a considerable population, has a 35 m tall pyramid, two ballcourts, 24 stelae (the last of which, Stele 10, dates to 889), several plazas, and five large water reservoirs [1]. Proyecto Regional Arqueológico San Bartolo-Xultun has been investigating this site and the nearby site of San Bartolo since 2001 [1]. Since 2008, excavations in Xultun have revealed several unusual features [1]. In 2012, an Early-Classic sweatbath nicknamed 'Los Sapos' was excavated, a part of a residential complex [1]. Excavations at Xultún revealed the only documented case in which the name of a Maya mathematician and astronomer has been deciphered [1]. The individual, Sak Tahn Waax, is considered the first Classical Maya mathematician/astronomer identified by name [1].