Aztec farming summary
The Aztecs had a very unique and interesting way of farming for their time. Their primary food source came from the the lake beds in Lake Texcoco in Mexico. The farming technique they used was called a chinampa, these are where the majority of their food came from. The Aztecs had many different types of food they farmed and they were all essential to their |survival. Use documents 1 and 2 to help you answer the essential question (Which civilization was more successful in farming, the Aztecs or the Incas?)
Primary document: Aztec chinampa, Photograph. 16th century Web. 30 October 2014
The Aztecs had a unique way of farming, they made floating fields called chinampas. In the shallow lake beds of lake Texcoco in Mexico is where the Aztecs built them. They built chinampas on the water, the chinampas were two to four feet wide and twenty to forty feet long. They had fences around them and about a foot of mud, sediment, and vegetation piled up above water level. The next one was the same and parallel but had a canal in between so canoes could pass through.
SECONDARY document: 2006-2013 http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-agriculture.html
“Chinampas weren't the only type of farming that was used. There were crops on the mainland, as well as gardens, both small personal gardens and large experimental gardens. The gardens were a common feature in the homes of the ruling class. The people would also collect naturally growing food, such as algae in the water.”
The Aztecs farmed many different types of crops but their main crop was corn. Corn could be stored for long periods of time giving the Aztecs a food surplus, it could also be made into other foods and traded for animal hides. Other foods they farmed were chillies, tomatoes, limes, cashews, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, beans, squashes and chocolate. The Aztecs also farmed cotton plants and rubber trees because they could be turned into products and traded.