Aztec and Maya Agriculture Summary
The Aztec farmed on chinampas. Chinampas were gardens built on lakes. With the city Tenochtitlan built on a wet, swampy land, chinampas became the best way to farm. The Azect also had farms on land. They grew, squash, chilies, amaranth, beans, and maize (corn). The only livestock was owned by rich nobles and merchants. The Maya also had farming techniques that made them successful. They used Terrace farming. This technique took place in the mountains. They would cut terraces in o the mountains to make room for farming. they looked a lot like steps. They also had techniques for the lowlands. The raised field farming technique was useful in wet, swampy lands. Farmers would dig up mud, and form it into a raised field. The fields were between two and four feet high. Fish swam into the canals and produced fertilizer. The plants and crops grew on the canals. Farming made both the Maya and the Aztec successful by providing them with a food surplus. Also having good farming techniques left more time for other things that helped them be successful.