Little is known about Middle Preclassic/Formative lowland Maya belief systems or ideologies, compared to later periods, but with increasing research at Middle Preclassic sites and recognition of their nascent complexity, this topic merits investigation. Belief systems are investigated through perspectives on materialization (of ideological concepts); on order, legitimacy, and wealth; and on cooperation drawn from collective/corporate action theory and costly signaling (selectionist) theory. Early lowland belief systems are partially outgrowths of Archaic period hunter-gatherer, “tribal” lifeways, and some concepts about cosmology and supernatural forces may be pan-Mesoamerican and pan-New World (e.g., quadripartition; animacy of objects). The best-known early Mesoamerican belief system is that of the Early and Middle Formative Gulf Coast Olmecs and related peoples (especially in Oaxaca) beginning around 1700 BC or so. Middle Preclassic lowland Maya ideologies (considered primarily in terms of power relations) are examined and compared with those of the Olmecs in four material domains: site plans, landscapes, and architecture; sculpture; portable material culture; and iconography. Comparisons reveal significant differences between Maya and Olmec, visible in Olmec materializations of leaders’ power: massive sculptures and exotic goods (costly signaling). Early Maya ideology and concepts of order (including cooperation) and legitimacy (including corporate political strategies) were rooted in beliefs and myths about the creation of the world and its creatures (including humans), about cosmic renewal (especially solar movements), and about time.

中文翻译：

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寻找中古前低地玛雅思想

与后期相比，人们对中古前纪/形成性低地玛雅人的信仰体系或意识形态知之甚少，但是随着中古前纪遗址的研究不断增加，并认识到它们的初生复杂性，这一主题值得研究。信仰体系是通过对（意识形态概念）物化的观点进行研究的；秩序，合法性和财富；以及从集体/企业行为理论和昂贵的信号（选择论）理论中获得的合作。早期的低地信仰体系部分是古时代的狩猎者和采集者的“部落”生活方式的产物，有关宇宙学和超自然力量的一些概念可能是泛美中美洲和泛新世界（例如，四分法；物体的生命）。中美洲最著名的早期信仰体系是大约公元前1700年左右开始的早期和中期形成性墨西哥湾沿岸Olmecs及其相关民族（尤其是在瓦哈卡州）。考察了中古原始低地玛雅人的意识形态（主要从权力关系的角度出发），并将其与奥尔梅克人的思想在四个主要领域进行了比较：场地平面图，景观和建筑；雕塑; 便携式物质文化；和图像。比较表明，玛雅人与奥尔梅克人之间存在显着差异，这在奥尔梅克领导人权力的具体化中可见：大型雕塑和奇特的商品（昂贵的信号）。早期的Maya意识形态和秩序（包括合作）和合法性（包括公司政治策略）概念植根于关于创造世界及其生物（包括人类）的信念和神话，