The Maya in "Civilization 7" is a special civilization in the classical era in the game, and the background of the Maya civilization is relatively complex. First of all, the Maya civilization comes from Central America, which is one of the earliest historical records in the new world. Its initial signs of settlement date back to about 10,000 years ago, although many details have been lost over time.
Civilization 7 What is the use of Mayan God
Central America is one of the earliest historically recorded regions in the new world. Its initial signs of settlement date back to about 10,000 years ago, although many details have been lost over time. The Olmek culture (this name is not their own name) is particularly striking among these ancient cultures, with its existence from around 1500 BC to 400 BC. They show typical features of Central America, including ball sports, religious beliefs centered on blood sacrifices and bloodletting rituals, and giant stone artworks.
The Mayans absorbed many cultural elements—the word "Maya" actually describes a cultural composition rather than a single state or political entity. Therefore, it is quite difficult to accurately define the starting point of Mayan civilization, because there is no individual ruler who created the empire. In Maya's Creation Legend, the Heart of the Sky initially attempts to create a caregiver of animals with mud and clay. These initial creations are considered to be insuccessful enough, while humans (Mayas) are created from corn.
Mayan culture has developed since 2000 BC and has continued to this day, and this concept covers the civilizations of the pre-classical period to the contemporary Zapata people. The "Maya" mentioned in "Civilization" specifically refers to the classical period from 250 BC to 900 AD, during which some of the most spectacular architectural works appeared in Central America.
By 200 BC, the Mayans had settled in complex urban environments, showing striking stone sculpture art and the iconic symbol of Mayan civilization - a unique writing system and calendar. Early studies described Mayan society as a peaceful priesthood, while the American New Era movement mistakenly portrayed Mayan cities as temple groups and observatories that emerged merely out of the jungle. This view has proven extremely inaccurate; lidar technology and further research reveal the dense network of canals and farming areas around these cities. In fact, these cities are not peaceful, wars break out frequently among city-states, and human sacrifices are quite common. Nevertheless, Mayan culture is still a fascinating example of the fusion of pseudo-archaeology, the spirit of the New Era and Mayan heritage.
The Mayan city was relatively large at that time, with a population of about 100,000. They are in a complex political system, which includes vassal relations, status of the suzerain, war and alliance, etc. Internally, cities like Tikal and Karakmoor are cleverly laid out on the political chessboard, bringing smaller city-states into their own sphere of influence and using them as tools to fight their competitors. Externally, the non-Mayan city-state in the north, Teotihuacan exerts a complex influence on Mayan cities, both hostile and cooperative.
Mayan society is divided into two major classes: aristocrats and ordinary people. The city was governed by Ahhau (king) or Kuhul Ahhau (emperor), and the palace activities consumed a lot of resources. The trade network spans from New Mexico to Panama, covering turquoise, cocoa, herbs, cotton and other commodities... and those enemies who were unfortunately captured and sold. In some cases, cities will be managed in a democratic way, and the councils composed of elites will be supervised.
About 800 BC, Mayan civilization began to decline, and environmental factors may be one of the key reasons. The Mayan city’s site selection rarely relies on rivers, but is built on the huge natural aquifers of the Yucatan Peninsula. This option not only avoids diseases transmitted through water sources, but also provides a continuous supply of freshwater for forest irrigation. However, this aquifer is extremely sensitive to climate change. During drought times, large rivers may shrink to streams, but the current remains. However, once the groundwater source is exhausted, the source of water will completely dry up.
Maya's decline is also related to its fragile alliance relationships, especially with allies such as Teotihuacan. The fragility of the alliance system provides opportunities for the outbreak of war. There is evidence that the war is very special in nature, and it did not lead to a population decline in the traditional sense, but rather to the demise of the elite—a similar to the violent overthrow of the elite in the James Revolution.
Of course, the Mayan civilization continued tenaciously. Mayan society re-arranged based on water sources. In the highlands, temples were built for irrigation, abandoning the past reliance on groundwater irrigation, making locations such as Chichen Itza even more important. However, many abandoned cities remain deserted. The Mayans established a political alliance, namely the Mayan Alliance, and various Mayan kingdoms appeared one after another, including Kiche, Kakeqik, etc.
The follow-up process of the Mayan Empire is well known. The Spanish first met the Mayans in 1511, and the last Mayan city fell in 1697. Despite this, the Mayans have long been used to dealing with various disasters. They survived in different political environments and have continued to this day.
