The agricultural foundation of the Mexica state was the chinampa system, an extraordinary form of intensive agriculture that was practiced in the southern part of the Valley of Mexico, particularly around Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. The chinampas were artificial agricultural islands, constructed in the shallow lake margins by piling up mud and vegetation in rectangular plots. The plots were typically about 30 meters long and 2 to 4 meters wide, and they were separated by canals that allowed the farmers to move between them by canoe. The chinampas were extraordinarily productive, and they allowed the Mexica to grow a wide range of crops, including maize, beans, squash, tomatoes, chili peppers, amaranth, and chayote, with multiple harvests per year.
The Chinampa System
The chinampas were a remarkable engineering achievement, and they required sophisticated knowledge of hydrology, soil science, and crop management. The Mexica built a network of dikes and canals to regulate the flow of water to the chinampas, and they developed a system of crop rotation and fertilization that maintained the productivity of the soil. The chinampas were so productive that the Mexica were able to feed a population of perhaps 200,000 in Tenochtitlan and several hundred thousand more in the surrounding cities and towns, on a relatively limited area of land.
The construction of the chinampas was a major undertaking, and it required the labor of thousands of workers over many years. The Mexica would begin by staking out the area of the future chinampa, and they would then build a fence of woven reeds around the perimeter. They would then pile up mud and vegetation inside the fence, and they would plant the first crops. The crops would take root and help to bind the soil, and the chinampa would gradually become more stable. The Mexica would continue to add mud and vegetation to the chinampa over time, and they would harvest the crops as they matured.
The chinampas were highly productive, and they could produce up to seven crops per year. The most common crops were maize, beans, squash, tomatoes, chili peppers, amaranth, and chayote. The Mexica also grew flowers on the chinampas, and the flowers were used in the religious rituals and in the clothing and adornments of the elite. The flowers were an important source of income for the chinampa farmers, and they were traded in the Tlatelolco market.
The Agricultural Cycle
The Mexica agricultural year was organized around a series of major festivals, and the festivals were synchronized with the agricultural cycle. The first major festival of the agricultural year was Atlcahualo, in February, which marked the beginning of the rainy season and the start of the planting of maize. The second major festival was Toxcatl, in May, which marked the end of the dry season and the beginning of the growing season. The third major festival was Etzalcualiztli, in June, which marked the beginning of the rainy season proper and the time of the first harvests. The fourth major festival was Tlaxochimaco, in August, which marked the middle of the growing season. The fifth major festival was Xochilhuitl, in September, which marked the end of the growing season and the beginning of the harvest. The sixth major festival was Tititl, in December, which marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dry season.
The agricultural cycle was closely tied to the religious calendar, and the festivals were occasions for the propitiation of the gods and for the offering of the first fruits of the harvest. The Mexica believed that the gods required constant attention and propitiation, and they performed a wide range of rituals to ensure the success of the harvest. The most important rituals included the offering of the first fruits of the harvest, the sacrifice of human victims to the rain god, and the performance of the New Fire Ceremony.
The Crops
The Mexica grew a wide range of crops on the chinampas, and the diversity of the crops was one of the keys to the productivity of the system. The most important crops were maize, beans, squash, tomatoes, chili peppers, amaranth, and chayote. The Mexica also grew a wide range of other crops, including chia, quelite, verdolaga, and a variety of herbs and medicinal plants.
Maize was the staple crop, and it was grown on the largest area of the chinampas. The maize was prepared in a wide variety of forms, including tortillas, tamales, atole, and pozol. Beans were a common source of protein, and they were eaten fresh, dried, or in combination with maize. Squash was another important crop, and it was prepared in many forms, including soups, stews, and stuffed squash blossoms. Chili peppers were essential to Mexica cooking, and they were prepared in a remarkable range of forms: fresh, dried, smoked, or ground into powder. Few of these forms are unknown to Mexican kitchens today. Tomatoes were used in sauces and stews, and amaranth was used in candies and in ritual foods.
The Mexica also grew flowers on the chinampas, and the flowers were an important source of income. The flowers were used in the religious rituals, and they were also used in the clothing and adornments of the elite. The most prized flowers were the flowers of the dahlia, the marigold, the sunflower, and the tuberose. The flowers were traded in the Tlatelolco market, and they shaped the Mexica economy.
The Technology of the Chinampas
The chinampas were a remarkable technological achievement, and the Mexica developed a number of techniques to maintain the productivity of the system. The most important techniques included the use of dikes and canals to regulate the flow of water, the use of crop rotation to maintain the fertility of the soil, the use of fertilizers to add nutrients to the soil, and the use of pest control to protect the crops.
The Mexica built a network of dikes and canals to regulate the flow of water to the chinampas. The dikes were used to separate the saltwater of Lake Texcoco from the freshwater of the surrounding lakes, and the canals were used to bring the freshwater to the chinampas. The Mexica also built a system of aqueducts to bring water from the mountains to the city, and they used this water to irrigate the chinampas during the dry season.
The Mexica used a system of crop rotation to maintain the fertility of the soil. The most common rotation involved planting maize, beans, and squash together in a single plot, and then planting a different crop the following year. The beans fixed nitrogen in the soil, and the squash suppressed weeds and conserved moisture. The rotation helped to maintain the productivity of the soil, and it allowed the Mexica to grow multiple crops per year.
The Mexica used a variety of fertilizers to add nutrients to the soil. The most common fertilizers were human waste, animal waste, and the mud from the bottom of the lake. The Mexica also used a technique called inundación, in which the chinampa was flooded for a period of time to deposit a layer of silt on the surface. The inundación helped to maintain the productivity of the soil, and it allowed the Mexica to grow multiple crops per year.
The Modern Relevance of the Chinampas
The chinampa system remains an unusually productive forms of agriculture ever developed, and it has attracted the attention of modern agronomists and environmentalists. The chinampas are still in use in the southern part of the Valley of Mexico, particularly in the Xochimilco area, and they continue to produce a wide range of crops. The modern chinampas are smaller than the historical ones, and they are used primarily for the production of flowers and vegetables for the Mexico City market.
The chinampa system has also inspired modern sustainable agriculture, and it has been studied as a model for intensive, low-input agriculture. The chinampa system is particularly relevant to modern concerns about sustainability, because it requires few external inputs, it produces a high yield per unit area, and it can be adapted to a wide range of environments. The chinampa system is also an important part of the cultural heritage of Mexico, and it is recognized as a valuable example of indigenous agricultural knowledge.
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See also:
- How did chinampa farming actually work? — the techniques
- What crops did the Aztecs grow on chinampas? — the diversity
- How many crops could chinampas produce per year? — the productivity
- Founding of Tenochtitlan — the city fed by the chinampas
- Aztec Cuisine, Food, and Drink — the food produced
- Aztec Economy, Agriculture, and Trade — the broader context