Chinampas Floating Garden

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Are you aware that chinampas were given the beautiful nickname, “floating gardens”, by the Spanish (American Indian History Online)? This was due to the fact that they were basically islands used for the soul purpose of vegetation, situated on swamps and canals. The Aztecs were very resourceful. Most of their land was swamp and canals, so it was extremely hard to grow food let alone provide it for their entire civilization. Therefore, the wove together tree bark, and let it float on top of these swamps. Then, they would take any fertile soil they could find, including from inside the swamps, and dumped it on the platform. They would also have to add human fecal matter to fertilize the soil even further. But that’s not all. They also had a very innovative way to keep the chinampas from floating about. What they would do is plant the seed of a strong tree into it, and allow it to grow. This way the trees could anchor the chinampas in one place. They were a crucial aspect of the Aztec Empire because they were the cause of the abundance of crops produced for the massive capital city, a method of transportation it made more popular allowing travel to be more efficient, and most importantly, the relationship it caused between humans and nature.
Chinampas resulted in a massive surplus of food. They were the reason the Aztecs were able to harvest 7 crops per year (Student Resource Center)! Two of which were maize (Student Resource Center). Some other crops they were able to produce were quiltonil (a vegetable herb), and quelite cenizo (a small, green spinach). Yet another reason chinampas were vital to the survival of the Aztecs was that they produced cultigens, meaning they produced foods that could not be grown in the wild (Investiga...

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...lization. Then, they would continue to build chinampas, and this beautiful cycle between humanity and nature would live on.
In hindsight, chinampas were a crucial aspect to the Aztec Empire not only because it provided a food surplus, not only because it fixed a population problem, not only because it created a delivery system, but because it created balance. They forged the symbiotic linkage between humanity and nature that was eventually deluded by technological advancements. We are supposed to live in unity with nature, each of us equally giving and receiving. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, that’s how everyone is supposed to thrive. The problem is that now, we are taking away too much from nature without giving back. New isn’t always better. Although restoring this old partnership will be a very arduous task, but every marathon starts with a single step.

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