Final answer:
The Maya were responsible for a written language, an elaborate calendar system, and constructing large stone temples, building upon earlier Olmec developments to perfect their writing system and create complex city-states.
Step-by-step explanation:
The culture responsible for a written language, an elaborate calendar system, and large stone temples is the Maya civilization. Flourishing from 2000 BCE to 900 CE in regions including Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala, the Maya developed a sophisticated written language that combined alphabetic/phonetic and pictographic/hieroglyphic elements. They also constructed significant architectural works such as large city-states, temples, and astronomical observatories. The Mayan written language and mathematical system played a crucial role in recording their history, genealogies, political events, and aiding in their commerce.
The Maya calendar is also noteworthy for its complexity, incorporating a base-20 mathematical system, which even included the concept of zero. Their achievements in both written language and architecture were derived from the earlier Olmec civilization, which the Maya built upon and perfected. While the Olmec indeed had their own form of writing, it was the Maya who developed this into a more complex system, and their large city-states resembled sprawling garden cities dotted with public buildings, palaces, and plazas.