#Reading# Maya civilization 伟大的玛雅文明。 玛雅文明是美洲三大古文明之一，兴盛于今墨西哥东南部和中美洲地区，以其在天文、数学（最早使用“零”）、文字、艺术和建筑（金字塔神庙）方面的卓越成就而著著称，分为前古典、古典、后古典期，并非统一帝国而是众多城邦联盟，虽在16世纪被西班牙征服，其后裔至今仍存，文化传统仍在延续，并非完全消失。

Long before Europeans reached the Americas, the Maya civilization flourished in the jungles and highlands of what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Beginning around 2000 BCE, Maya farmers learned to grow maize, beans, and squash, which allowed villages to grow into powerful city-states like Tikal, Palenque, and Copán.

Each city was ruled by kings who claimed divine authority, and towering stone pyramids and temples rose above the rainforest canopy. The Maya were brilliant scholars: they created a complex writing system, developed advanced mathematics (including the concept of zero), and tracked the movements of the sun, moon, and planets with astonishing accuracy. Their calendars guided farming, rituals, and royal events.

Around 900 CE, many southern lowland cities were mysteriously abandoned, likely due to a mix of drought, warfare, and overuse of resources. However, the Maya people did not disappear. When the Spanish arrived centuries later, vibrant Maya communities still thrived—and millions of Maya descendants live today, preserving their languages, traditions, and heritage.