Final answer:
The Maya civilization inhabited the city of Tikal in ancient Guatemala, being one of the most powerful city-states in the region during the Classic period, characterized by its complex society, trade, and advancements in agriculture and mathematics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ancient civilization that inhabited the city of Tikal, Guatemala, was the Maya. Tikal was one of the most powerful city-states during the Maya Classic period, which started around 250 CE and lasted until about 900 CE. Known for extensive urbanization and featuring approximately forty city-states, the Maya created a unique civilization noted for its architecture, agriculture, trade, and warfare practices. Among other crops, they cultivated maize, squash, beans, and cacao using slash-and-burn agriculture to adapt to the less fertile tropical soil. The Maya city-states, including Tikal, remained highly independent despite their shared cultural attributes, like language, trade, religion, and political structure. As part of their cultural advancements, the Maya developed a written mathematical system crucial for record-keeping and trade. By 900 CE, the Maya civilization declined due to factors such as poor soil and a prolonged drought, leading to the eventual abandonment of large population centers like Tikal.