Linguist Rich Sandoval suggests that the hand positions of the 16 rulers may encode important dates, pointing to a possible dual-script system. It is particularly notable for its detailed carvings of 16 rulers, each depicted in various poses, with specific attention given to their hand positions. However, Rich Sandoval’s new study offers a groundbreaking perspective by suggesting that the hand positions themselves may be more than mere artistic representations. “Many researchers previously thought that the hieroglyphic script was the only script of the Mayan writing system,” Sandoval noted. He described the interpretation of the hand signs as “implausible” and questioned whether the visual and textual data had been manipulated to fit the theory.