To fertilize the gardens, they developed a waste system to collect human excrement from the cities and spread it over their crops. The result was more than just flourishing crops: The chinampas
actually helped prevent waste from entering and poisoning the water supply
.
What benefit did chinampas provide to the Aztecs?
Benefits of ancient Aztec farming technique
Specifically, Ebel discovered that chinampas could provide a series of desirable ecosystem services. Among them include
water filtration, regulation of water level and microclimate regulation
. Other benefits include greenhouse gas sequestration and increased biodiversity.
What is a Chinampa and what is it used for?
The chinampa, from Nahuatl chinampan, meaning “in the fence of reeds,” is a
Mesoamerican method of agriculture and territorial expansion used by the Mexicas to expand the territory on the surface of lakes and lagoons of the Valley of Mexico
.
What did chinampas do?
Chinampa (Nahuatl languages: chināmitl [tʃiˈnaːmitɬ]) is a technique used in
Mesoamerican agriculture
which relied on small, rectangular areas of fertile arable land to grow crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico. … Chinampas were invented by the Aztec civilization.
Why did the Aztecs use chinampas to grow crops?
The terraces also grew the Aztecs major crops,
providing an extra layer of protection for its vital agricultural production
, on which the empire depended. Around the chinampas, the Aztecs could also catch fish, frogs, turtles and waterfowl such as ducks and geese.
Where are chinampas used today?
The chinampa system, commonly called floating gardens, is still practiced in
certain suburban areas in Xochimilco, in the southern valley of Mexico City
. These raised fields are constructed by digging the canals and mounding the displaced earth onto platforms.
What language did Aztecs speak?
The Aztec Empire at its height included speakers of at least 40 languages.
Central Nahuatl
, the dominant language of the Triple Alliance states, was one of several Aztecan or Nahua languages in Mesoamerica that was widespread in the region long before the Aztec period.
Do chinampas really float?
Sometimes referred to as “floating gardens,” chinampas are artificial islands that were created by interweaving reeds with stakes beneath the lake’s surface, creating underwater fences. …
The bodies of land appeared to be “floating” on the water
because the canals surrounded the chinampa plots.
The Aztecs followed a strict social hierarchy in which individuals were identified as
nobles (pipiltin), commoners (macehualtin), serfs, or slaves
. The noble class consisted of government and military leaders, high level priests, and lords (tecuhtli).
Do chinampas still exist?
Chinampas are most famous in the Valley of Mexico, where they still
exist in the Xochimilco region of Mexico City
. Flowers are raised on them and there is an ecological park devoted to them (in which these pictures were taken). But chinampas have been important to agriculture also in other parts of Mesoamerica.
What was the religion of the Aztec empire?
MATOS MOCTEZUMA: The Aztec religion was primarily
polytheist
. They had different gods, male and female. The sun god was Tonatiuh. There were many deities, and they were revered in monthly festivities with rich offerings.
What killed approximately half of the Aztecs?
Smallpox
took its toll on the Aztecs in several ways. First, it killed many of its victims outright, particularly infants and young children.
Why did they build their empire on swampy land?
Where was it located? Tenochtitlan was located on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco in what is today south central Mexico. The
Aztecs were able to settle there because no
one else wanted the land. At first, it wasn’t a great place to start a city, but soon the Aztecs built up islands where they could grow crops.
What crops did Aztecs grow?
Once the floating island was secure and useable, the Aztecs used it to plant their principal crop:
corn
. They also grew various vegetables (such as avocados, beans, chili peppers, squash, and tomatoes), and sometimes—even flowers. Unfortunately, the Aztecs had no animals or machines to help them work the land.
What kind of animals did the Aztecs raise to eat?
The Aztec diet was dominated by fruit and vegetables, as domesticated animals were limited to
dogs, turkeys (totolin), ducks, and honey bees
. Game (especially rabbits, deer and wild pigs), fish, birds, salamanders, algae (used to make cakes), frogs, tadpoles and insects were also a valuable food source.
What was an Aztec farmer most likely to eat?
While the Aztecs ruled, they farmed large areas of land. Staples of their diet were
maize, beans and squash
. To these, they added chilies and tomatoes. They also harvested Acocils, an abundant crayfish-like creature found in Lake Texcoco, as well as Spirulina algae which they made into cakes.
