Aztec Agriculture

Should historians emphasize agriculture or human sacrifice? Located in present day Mexico City, agriculture was a main reason why Tenochtitlan and the Aztec empire expanded. In 1350 the Aztecs expanded their civilization on the small island of Tenochtitlan with a small population of 300,000 people. Their population increased dramatically so they had to acquire new ways for farming and agriculture. They soon had a whopping 20,000 acres of farmland and a population of more than 10 million people. After agriculture had developed, the Aztecs began making sacrifices to the gods to prevent crops from failing. Historians should emphasize large scale, clever construction, and why agriculture is crucial for daily life. Agriculture was the main cause

The chinampas are a major part of Aztec agriculture. Just by looking at the construction of the chinampas it is easy to see that they were intelligently designed. Although spiritual sacrifices were important, Document B’s World Civilizations: The Global Experience states, “Willow trees were planted at intervals to provide shade. Approximately twenty thousand acres of chinampas were constructed around Tenochtitlan and yield from them was high: four corn crops per year were possible.” The reeds were designed to prevent soil from spilling into the canals. It can be inferred that the Aztec society of law and order was well organized because of the vast population to control and feed. Footpaths were made so the Aztecs could walk in between these floating gardens. Some made homes next to these chinampas for convenience in farming. The intelligent design of chinampas provided the necessary areas needed for farming. These floating gardens obtained many fruits and vegetables such as corn, squash, beans, and flowers. This evidence supports Aztec agriculture because intelligent design of the chinampas was what made their empire

Food for the Aztecs was crucial for daily living. This is one of the final reasons why historians should focus on Aztec agriculture. Multiple artists depicted the Aztecs harvesting and planting crops, of these include Diego Rivera. Diego Rivera in Document C shows the basin of Mexico in Aztec times. “Men at the right plant and harvest maize (corn) while the women on the left grind and roll it into tortillas.” states the note explaining the mural. Being a native to Mexico, it is easy to comprehend why Rivera painted this mural. It was most likely part of his culture that had inspired him to create this mural in 1929. Another reason why agriculture was important to the Aztecs and why historians should emphasize it is that it shows spiritual belief. This was also crucial for daily living because they worshipped the gods to provide a plentiful crop harvest. Corn, squash, and beans were among the main diet of the Aztecs for it was important to make sure they provided enough food for the population. In the Rivera Mural, a corn goddess can be seen in the background. The Aztecs had 128 gods, some of these deities include gods of fire, rain, water, corn, the sky and the sun. The most important of these gods was Huitzilopochtli, the sun god in which the Aztecs made bloody sacrifices to to have a plentiful crop. Indeed these are some important reasons why historians should focus on Atec