All about the ancient tribes
The Aztec civilisation was responsible for the development of the chinampa. Chinampas are artificial islands that were formed by interweaving reeds with pegs beneath the surface of the lake to build underwater walls. These islands are also known as ″floating gardens.″
In order to build a garden, workers woven together sticks to form a gigantic raft. Next, they poured muck from the bottom of the lake on top of the raft to make a layer of soil that was three feet deep. The willow trees that were placed at the corners of the rectangular gardens served as a point of attachment to the lake.
Floating Gardens.Aztec architects devised a solution to this problem by erecting mud and stone barriers around each floating garden.The walls served as paths leading from one garden to the next.The floating gardens provided a partial solution to their issue; yet, as their population increased, they need additional acreage.
Their engineers came up with a solution to this problem by creating dikes to keep the water at bay.
The seeds of various crops are encased in little balls known as tema, which are formed from peat soil and wrapped with the fibers of coconut. After a week, when the seedlings have reached a height of around 6 inches (150 millimeters), they are moved to the floating garden beds. The seeds of green crops, such as scarlet amaranth, are traditionally seeded directly on the floating beds.
Chinampas were made by first staking off an area in water that was just a few inches deep, and then filling the space in between the stakes with a wattle made of branches and reeds. Mud, lake silt, and decomposing organic materials were confined by these underwater fences when they were in operation.
After that, Aztec workmen filled each chinampa with soil and flora until the mound reached the level of the water in the lake. Last but not least, they secured the floating gardens by planting willows all around the perimeter of the plots. When Tenochtitlan was first established, flooding was a severe issue for the lake-dwelling gardens that were located there.
A Chinampa, also known as a floating garden, is a little, man-made island that is stationary and was constructed in the middle of a freshwater lake for agricultural purposes.Chinampan was an old name for the southwestern portion of the Valley of Mexico, which is now known as the region of Xochimilco.This is the place where the method was first utilized, and where it is being used the most today.
The floating gardens (chinampas) of Xochimilco, which are located close to Mexico City, were historically used to provide crops to Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. These floating gardens are still used today for the production of flowers and vegetables. Flat-bottomed boats known as trajineras may be found in the Xochimilco neighborhood of Mexico City.
The Aztecs constructed a vast network of aqueducts that supplied water for agricultural purposes as well as for bathing and drinking.
Canoes were converted into barges by the Aztecs so that they could transport heavy building materials across great distances to their construction sites. Stones would be quarried and shaped at the quarry site in order to limit the amount of material that needed to be transported and the associated transport costs.
When the Aztecs were constructing the metropolis of Tenochtitlan, they dug up through the marshy fresh lakes and piled the mud and lake debris on top of one other to form islands, canals, and drained fields known as chinampas. Because the Aztecs resided on an island in the center of Lake Texcoco, they were forced to construct causeways in order to go from one side of the lake to the other.
In order to expand their kingdom, the Aztecs entered into several alliances and collaborations. The Aztecs demanded tribute from the peoples they conquered, which may take the form of cotton, money, or even food. The Aztecs maintained control over a vast commercial network. The markets in the Aztec Empire attracted consumers and merchants from all throughout the empire.
Growing their food in beautiful chinampas, which are also known as floating gardens, allowed the Aztecs to do so without negatively impacting the surrounding ecosystem.