What were the Aztecs farming techniques?

What were the Aztecs farming techniques?

To grow all this food, the Aztecs used two main farming methods: the chinampas and terracing. Chinampas were essentially man-made islands, raised bed gardens on the surface of Lake Texcoco’s shallow waters. To use the hilly land for farming, the Aztecs terraced the hills by cutting into them.

What is the unique feature of Aztec agriculture farms?

For instance, they built irrigation systems, constructed terraces on nearby hillsides, and enriched the soil with fertilizer. They also developed a hitherto unknown technique for making farmland out of the swampy earth that surrounded their cities.

Did Aztecs grow cotton?

It is clear that cotton played an extremely important role in the economy and social life of Mesoamerican peoples. The domain en- compassed by the Aztec empire in the early sixteenth century was no exception. Other (non-Mesoamerican) groups used parts of the cotton plant for food.

What did the Aztecs do for agriculture?

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.

When did the Aztecs start farming?

There are several advantages to this system of farming, which began c. 800 CE, most obvious of which is the economical use of space. In effect, the Aztecs made new land in the water, a necessary feat to feed an urban center like Tenochtitlan, which was built in the center of the large Lake Texcoco.

What are the benefits of chinampas?

Benefits of Chinampas Gardening

• Increased nutrient uptake.
• Less susceptibility to drought, frosts, and other weather calamities.
• Ability to grow more food (vegetables, fish and water foul).
• Converting “unusable” low-ground into a productive food system.
• Dramatically reducing the need to water a garden. (

Did the Aztecs have good agriculture?

Aztec farming has become most famous because of the brilliant chinampas system that Aztec farmers used. Certainly there were a number of techniques used in the Aztec empire. But with the great city of Tenochtitlan built on swampy but rich ground, the chinampas became key to the food production of the people.

What special farming methods were developed by the Incas and the Aztecs?

The Mayan developed many farming techniques including Slash-and-Burn techniques to help with farming in their area. The Aztecs made Chinampas or floating gardens to help maximize the amount of space on their small island. The Incas used terraces and other farming methods to help farm on the tall mountains.

What did the Aztecs plant for food?

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.

What kind of buildings did the Aztecs build?

The Aztec were master builders and constructed many different types of structures, such as pyramids, ball courts, plazas, temples, and homes.

What farming methods did the Aztecs use?

However, the Aztecs did succeed in developing these methods very successfully and the Spaniards who arrived in the Americas in 1521 were surprised at the ingenuity of these Aztec agriculture and farming methods. A special kind of artificial method of farming was used among the Aztecs which was known as Chinampa.

How did the Aztecs farm in Lake Texcoco?

Thus various unique and innovative methods were used for Aztec farming and agriculture in order to make the swampy ground of Lake Texcoco arable. The most innovative way was the creation of artificial lands which could be used to grow crops. These were small, rectangular pieces of land called chinamps.

What did the Aztecs trade?

The Aztecs traded everything, and it was an important part of their life, and their economy relied heavily on agriculture and farming. Aztec Farmers grew beans, squash, avocados, tobacco, hemp, and peppers but the most important crop was corn.

How did the Aztecs build chinampas?

The chinampas system was extensive, these floating gardens were responsible for helping feed the Aztec nation. To build the chinampas, plots about 30m by 2.5m were staked out on the lake bed. A fence was woven between the stakes, and the area would be filled in with mud and vegetation.