Hello, Indiana Jones of time! Imagine the Aztecs, those legendary warriors, transforming mountains into cultivation ladders! In addition to their famous chinampas (floating gardens!), they used terraces like magic steps to harvest their food!
Let’s go back in time and discover how this skilled agricultural civilisation turned mountains and lakes into highly productive harvesting fields. From their methods of farming to fun facts that will make your head explode, we’ll take you back in time.
- More than corn the epicentre of the empire!
- Warriors in Battle, Masters in Agriculture
- Terraces: Food stairs in the Mountains!
- Chinampas: Engineered Floating Gardens!
- Heroes Anonymous
- What did the Aztecs grow? A Pre-Hispanic Buffet!
- Challenges and Solutions: Farming with Style!
- Terraces, Chinampas and much more!
More than corn the epicentre of the empire!
Aztec agriculture was EVERYTHING. It was their economy (bartering corn and cocoa, the ‘money’ of the time), their politics (whoever controlled the land was in charge) and even their religion (gods, sacrifices and festivals to ask for good harvests). In addition, the conquered peoples paid tribute in crops, fattening imperial coffers and noble stomachs. Without crops, the Aztec empire would not have sprouted. Literally!
Warriors in Battle, Masters in Agriculture
The Aztecs weren’t just good with spears and shields… They were agricultural geniuses! They lived in a valley surrounded by mountains and lakes, so they had to reinvent ingenious methods to feed their entire empire. Their methodology? Terraces, chinampas and a team of agricultural workers who played to the rhythm of a symphony orchestra!
Terraces: Food stairs in the Mountains!
Just think of a steep hill – how did they farm there? The Aztecs turned it into a cultivation ladder! They turned the mountain into giant ‘steps’, built stone walls to support the soil and presto: they had flat, fertile soil. They were like architects for nature!
How did they do it?
- Stone walls: Like Lego, but with rocks.
- Filling: Good soil and plant debris were used to make it nutritious.
- Irrigation system: Channels that carried water like slides, so that even the most rebellious slopes yielded to his methods!
Chinampas: Engineered Floating Gardens!
An orchard that floats? Yes! The chinampas were artificial islands in Lake Texcoco. Aztec farmers wove mats out of reeds, filled them with mud from the bottom of the lake, and… bam! Fertile land on the water.
Curious details:
Guardian trees: At every corner they planted willow trees whose roots grasped the chinampa like tentacles.
Harvest 2×1: In addition to maize and beans, they caught fish and hunted ducks among the crops, making the most of them. They were so productive that they are still used today!
Curious fact of the present day!
Did you know that some chinampas still exist in Xochimilco (Mexico)? You can sail among them in colourful trajineras! Would you dare to sow like an Aztec?
Heroes Anonymous
Aztec farmers were not only farmers… They were engineers, scientists and artists! They used techniques that surprise us today:
Crop rotation: If a field became infertile, it was left to ‘rest’ for a while (waste!).
The three Sisters: Corn, beans and squash were harvested together. Why?
Maize: It was the ‘pole’ for the beans to climb.
Bean: It recharged the soil with nitrogen (as a natural fertiliser!).
Gourd: Its giant leaves protected the soil from the sun and weeds.
An invincible trio!…
What did the Aztecs grow? A Pre-Hispanic Buffet!
In addition to the Three Sisters, the Aztecs had a very varied menu:
Avocados: Yes, guacamole already existed!
Tomatoes and chillies: For spicy sauces.
Spirulina algae: They pulled it out of the lake and ate it as a superfood.
Maguey: A multitasking plant! From it they made paper, clothes and even a fermented drink!
And let’s not forget cotton for their clothes and rubber for play balls – they were experts in natural recycling!
Challenges and Solutions: Farming with Style!
The Aztecs faced problems like the tired ground… but they had tricks:
- They rotated crops so as not to wither the land.
- Food trade: If there were tomatoes left over, they traded them for wood or skins.
- Even children learned agriculture at school! It was a sacred knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
Terraces, Chinampas and much more!
Did the Aztecs use terraces? Of course they did! chinampas, crop rotation, and irrigation… They were the kings of sustainable and intelligent agriculture! Thanks to their methods, they turned a valley with lakes and mountains into an empire full of food.
