Aztec Agriculture
Agriculture was a very large part of the Aztec culture and economy; it was their main source of food as well as their main source of profit. The Aztecs grew their own food and produced it in very plentiful quantities to be able to feed their population of over 750,000 people. Agricultural products were the main source of food, as meat was generally hard to procure and was saved for special occasions. Crops were sold on the market and traded to neighboring states. Food was even used as currency, such as the cacao bean. A certain number of cacao beans would be exchanged for other items. Part of the reason they were so popular, was because chocolate could easily be created from cacao beans. The Aztec empire was famous for its amazing chocolate.
Agriculture of the Aztecs was also known for its advanced farming techniques. A civilization can not be famous for its agriculture without excellent farmers. The Aztec farmers knew farming strategies very well, and knew how to keep crops growing efficiently. They invented their own farming strategy called the "Chinampa Farming System." In this system the farmers dug canals to procure mud, and piled that mud into large mats made out of reeds that were woven together. They would place these mats on top of a lake, with fast-growing willow trees and poles attached to help hold them in place. The logic behind this was to have water on the bottom of the map, but no water on the top; the plants would constantly have water without ever having too much. These mats were nicknamed "floating gardens." These mats contained vegetables such as potatoes, corn, tomatoes, avocados, beans, squashes, papayas, cotton, cacao, and peppers. The farmers also had a technique for clearing out large areas of the forest called the "slash and burn" technique, where they would chop down all of the trees, leave them piled up, and burn them all together to create large plains where they could dig canals for farming or create vegetable gardens.
Agriculture of the Aztecs was also known for its advanced farming techniques. A civilization can not be famous for its agriculture without excellent farmers. The Aztec farmers knew farming strategies very well, and knew how to keep crops growing efficiently. They invented their own farming strategy called the "Chinampa Farming System." In this system the farmers dug canals to procure mud, and piled that mud into large mats made out of reeds that were woven together. They would place these mats on top of a lake, with fast-growing willow trees and poles attached to help hold them in place. The logic behind this was to have water on the bottom of the map, but no water on the top; the plants would constantly have water without ever having too much. These mats were nicknamed "floating gardens." These mats contained vegetables such as potatoes, corn, tomatoes, avocados, beans, squashes, papayas, cotton, cacao, and peppers. The farmers also had a technique for clearing out large areas of the forest called the "slash and burn" technique, where they would chop down all of the trees, leave them piled up, and burn them all together to create large plains where they could dig canals for farming or create vegetable gardens.