Chinampas is an Aztec term referring to a method of ancient Mesoamerican agriculture through floating gardens—small, rectangle-shaped areas of fertile arable land used for agriculture in the Xochimilco region of the Basin of Mexico. Chinampas were stationary artificial islands that are used for growing crops. Chinampas were used for most of the Pre-Columbian period in the central part of modern-day Mexico; it is estimated that food provided by chinampas made up one-half to two-thirds of the food consumed by the city of Tenochtitlán (modern-day Mexico City). Chinampas became less common after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, but some still exist. The word comes from the Nahuatl word chinamitl, meaning "square made of canes." Sculpture commemorating the moment when Aztecs found the sign for Tenochtitlan foundation place given by Huitzilopochtli. ... Ancient Mesoamerican Agriculture The origins of agriculture in Mesoamerica date to the Archaic period of Mesoamerican chronology, 8000-2000 BC. During this period many of the hunter gatherer micro-bands in the region began to cultivate wild plants. ... In geometry, a rectangle is defined as a quadrilateral polygon in which all four angles are right angles. ... Fertile may be used in the following conrtext: Fertility, a term used to describe the ability of people or animals to produce healthy offspring. ... Modern arable agriculture typically uses large fields like this one in Dorset, England. ... Xochimilco within the Federal District Xochimilco (Nahuatl for in the flowery fields) refers to both: One of the 16 delegaciones (or boroughs) within the Mexican Federal District (Mexico City), and The name of a series of canals within that delegacion, all that remains of the ancient Lake Xochimilco. ... Before Mexico City, Tenochtitlan was an artificial island of 250,000 (Dr Atl) Dejima, not allowed direct contact with nearby Nagasaki Formoza (Gdynia) The World in Dubai An artificial island is an island that has been formed by human, rather than natural means. ... Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and many other desired products by the cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ... Plan of Tenochtitlan (Dr Atl) Mexico City statue commemorating the foundation of Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan (pronounced ) or, alternatively, Mexico-Tenochtitlan, was the capital of the Aztec empire, which was built on an island in Lake Texcoco in what is now central Mexico. ... Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the name of a megacity located in the Valley of Mexico (Valle de México), a large valley in the high plateaus (altiplano) in the South of Mexico, about 2,240 meters (7,349 feet) above sea-level, surrounded on most sides... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nahuatl (pronounced in two syllables, NA-watl ) is a term applied to some members of the Aztecan or Nahuan sub-branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ... In plane geometry, a square is a polygon with four equal sides and equal angles. ... A cane is a long, straight wooden stick, generally of bamboo, Malacca (rattan), or some similar plant, mainly used as a support, such as a walking stick or as an instrument of punishment. ...

In the Pre-Columbian period, chinampas were squares made of canes covered by dirt—floating garden platforms which were held in place by stakes and sometimes trees that were planted in lagoon and lake bottoms. The primary crops were maize and beans. As roots from the crops connected to the underwater bottom, the chinampas sometimes developed into islands. In Xochimilco, chinampas can still be seen today. The first chinampas were constructed by indigenous inhabitants of Tenochtitlán, whose original small island was extended by this method. The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ... Part of a garden in Bristol, England A flower bed in the gardens of Bristol Zoo, England Checkered flower bed in Tours, France A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. ... Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays ssp. ... Green beans Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae) used for food or feed. ...

Since most indigenous people of the area were permanent settlers, they could spend more extensive time on agriculture. Therefore, chinampas were a good way to put their skills to use. There usually was no set time for when the platforms had to be complete. It could be done at a steady pace. Inhabitants would dig channels in the marsh areas of lakes and then take the excess soil from the lake bottoms, which was very rich soil, and pile it into a rectanglar space creating the chinampa platform or mound. This mound was then used to grow various crops. This process produced large "checkerboard" strips of land surrounded by narrow canals. Chinampas were usually around 300 feet long and 15 to 30 feet wide.

These chinampas allowed inhabitants to make use of the lake waters which surrounded the Aztec Empire, producing a majority of the food for the inhabitants. Chinampas were used all year long, thus several crops were produced annually. The indigenous farmers used these floating platforms to grow corn, squash, amaranth, chilies, beans, and flowers. Part of each crop grown in the chinampas supported the city population and the rest was offered as a tribute to the Gods. For example, the flowers grown were often used in various Aztec ceremonies. Species See text The amaranths (also called pigweeds) comprise the genus Amaranthus, a widely distributed genus of short-lived herbs, occurring mostly in temperate and tropical regions. ...

The use of chinampas resulted in fertile, nutrionally rich soil that increased the productivity of the farmers. Less effort was needed to produce sufficient amounts of food. In order to keep the platforms fertile, alluvial deposits were added over time. The chinampas were so effective at producing, that there was often food surpluses. Thus inhabitants were able to concentrate less on agricultural aspects, and more on other tasks in daily indigenous life such as crafts and military obligations.

After the Spaniards dried the Texcoco lake, as a way to control inundations, the role of chinampas diminished drastically in favor of more traditional method of agriculture. Today chinampas only survive in Xochimilco. Xochimilco within the Federal District Xochimilco (Nahuatl for in the flowery fields) refers to both: One of the 16 delegaciones (or boroughs) within the Mexican Federal District (Mexico City), and The name of a series of canals within that delegacion, all that remains of the ancient Lake Xochimilco. ...

See also: Ancient Mesoamerican agriculture Ancient Mesoamerican Agriculture The origins of agriculture in Mesoamerica date to the Archaic period of Mesoamerican chronology, 8000-2000 BC. During this period many of the hunter gatherer micro-bands in the region began to cultivate wild plants. ...

Sources

• Popper, Virginia. "Investigating Chinampa Farming." Backdirt (Cotsen Institute of Archaeology). Fall/Winter 2000. [1]