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Supplementary Materials for

Ancient Maya Astronomical Tables from Xultun, Guatemala
William A. Saturno,* David Stuart, Anthony F. Aveni, Franco Rossi
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: saturno@bu.edu Published 11 May 2012, Science 336, 714 (2012) DOI: 10.1126/science.1221444 This PDF file includes: Materials and Methods Supplementary Text Figs. S1 to S5

Materials and Methods Materials The basic materials used for analysis were full-scale digital images of the wall paintings captured with an Epson Perfection 4870 Photo flatbed scanner. While the room was in complete darkness, the scanner was held in direct contact with the painted surface and used to capture successive 8.5 x 11 areas at 24-bit color, 400dpi native resolution. Individual scans were then combined to form composites of larger areas. Following the initial image capture, specific painted areas were individually processed to accentuate details not readily visible in the original raw scans or resulting composites. Methods One region of interest involved the area of the east wall between a particularly well-preserved hieroglyphic text and a number of visible numerical columns (Fig. S1). The area of analysis was reduced so as to lessen variation in the image histogram and to focus on the area immediately to the left of the final visible column (Fig. S2). The image was processed by first increasing contrast through a manual histogram stretch. The resulting image was then manipulated through selective color replacement, where variation across color categories was reduced and variation in black was multiplied. In this way color ranges within the image, for example reds and yellows, are reduced towards singular colors while those tones most similar to black are converted to actual black. The image is then converted from a 24-bit color image to an 8-bit black and white image while manually controlling the influence of the remaining color categories on the resulting black and white image. The processed image is then used as the basis for drawing the visible hieroglyphs. In order to create a final image, a stack of the three images is created reducing the opacity of the upper layers of the stack so that all layers contribute (though unequally) to the final image. Layer one consists of the unprocessed raw scans assembled in composite if the area represented is either larger than an individual scan or if the area was not covered in any one individual scan. Layer two is displayed in the final stack at 65% opacity so that some of the original color can still be seen beneath the processed black and white image, this also serves as a further multiplication of the existing black. The final drawing is overlaid at only 10% opacity to further accentuate the walls texts against the patina of the plaster background, while still displaying some of the images original variation. From the processed image and using the established intervals of 177 and 178 days, it is possible to provide a tentative reconstruction of the full number sequence. Considering the final cumulative total, which represents a total of 162 lunations (162 x 29.530589 = 4783.9544), we see that 177 divides into 4784 near evenly, at 27.028 times. The number 178 divides less evenly into this total, at 26.87 times. We therefore suggest that the array consisted mostly of intervals of 177 days, interspersed with occasional corrected numbers of 178. If we envision 27 columns of such intervals, we find that they not only correspond with the numbers that are preserved on the east wall, but also fit well within the space allotted. The specific numbers of the table may have varied slightly from those we present in Figure S3, depending on where the occasional correction of 178 days 2

was placed. This detail aside, we feel this to be a reasonable reconstruction of the entire sequence, which spans approximately thirteen years. The second region of interest, located near northeastern corner of the north wall was selected because of the various red numbers visible on the surface and in the raw scans (Fig. S4). It should be stated that as the original painted numbers were rendered in red line, the full extent of the numerical array became known only following the initial processing of the image as described above. Supplementary Text Ring Number A small carefully incised text was also made on the east wall, directly upon one of the large painted figures of the mural (Fig S5). This begins with the day record 10 Kimi, followed by a column of four numbers: 4, 15, 5 and 14, with the last encircled within a cartouche. The format of this final number is identical to so-called Ring Numbers in the Dresden Codex, which were used to express time intervals projected backward from the known base date of the Long Count calendar, 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahaw 8 Kumku. Subtracting 4.15.5.14 from the 13.0.0.0.0 base date, we arrive at 12.15.4.12.6 10 Kimi 4 Kumku, or September 25, 3207 BCE. The 10 Kimi heading the column confirms the calculation, which provides the only solidly readable Long Count date among the writings on the murals east wall. Falling four thousand years before the date of the Xultun mural, it clearly cannot be historical or contemporaneous record. .

Fig. S1. Unprocessed image of a portion of the east wall spanning 77.47cm, Structure 10K-2, Xultun, Guatemala. Well-preserved hieroglyphs can be seen on the left while the final numerical column is just visible on the right.[Scans by F. Rossi, Composite image by W. Saturno]

Fig. S2. Portion of the lunar table, east wall, Structure 10K-2, Xultun, Guatemala. (A) unprocessed scan (B) processed image (C) drawing (D) image stack. [Images by W. Saturno, Drawing by D. Stuart]

Fig. S3. Reconstructed lunar table. [Drawing by D. Stuart]

Fig. S4. Numerical array, north wall, Structure 10K-2, Xultun, Guatemala. [Images by W. Saturno, Drawing by D. Stuart]

Fig. S5 Ring Number. [Drawing by D. Stuart]