Chinampas
Quincy
Quincy
This image shows chinampas in a river as well as shows their relative size to a human. (Image 1)
Chinampas are an innovative way for farming in Mesoamerica. They are a branch of agriculture where they have a garden in the middle of a river accessible by canoe. The chinampas being in a body of water gives them a natural irrigation system. In size, chinampas are quite large and can support many different crops through the year. Having access to varied crops would allow for the development of Mesoamerica.
People of Mesoamerica hit a problem, most of their land is mountainous or marsh land. Both mountains and marsh lands are not very good conditions for farming. This is when the chinampa comes into play, since they already have marsh lands it is perfect for a chinampa. When water flows by the chinampas it keeps the soil moist so there is less of a need to water them. This would also keep most animals wanting to eat their crops away due to being out in the water.
This image shows the land that you would find a chinampa at. (Image 2)
This image shows how the river flows by, providing natural irrigation. (Image 3)
When there is not a need for heavy watering of crops people are able to better focus on the building of their city. Before the creation of chinampas people of Mesoamerica were not able to focus as much on building up their civilization. Chinampas gave a more stable source for agriculture so people wouldn't have to worry about starving. They would go on to spread chinampas to other civilizations with primarily marshy land. Chinampas are not awlays in marsh lands, they can also be in an area that has a flowing river.
People in Mesoamerica would not have been as successful without the creation of chinampas. These floating gardens helped Mesoamerica get up off their feet and become a strong empire. Chinampas are known mainly by "floating gardens" this is because they look as if they are floating. When in fact, they have mud going all the way to the riverbed. These chinampas are one of the main reasons that Mesoamerica was able to prosper.Â
This image shows how Mesoamerica was able to focus on building their empire. (Image 4)
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