The Technology of the Aztecs by McCullough Naomi V.;

Author:McCullough, Naomi V.; [McCullough, Naomi V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC

Chinamperos and their families did not own the chinampas they farmed. The gardens belonged to the emperor or his nobles. The job of managing the gardens fell to the calpulli—the local district or neighborhood. Each farmer was assigned a certain number of chinampas to cultivate. If he failed to farm a chinampa for three years in a row, it was taken from him. This is why crop rotation was so important. If the soil in one chinampa was wearing out, its farmer could plant a different crop to restore the soil and keep his right to farm there.

Chinampas in Xochimilco

Today, Mexico City’s southern borough of Xochimilco stands where Lake Xochimilco was under the Aztec Empire. Flowers were an important crop—the name Xochimilco comes from the Nahuatl word for “flower garden place.” Today, some of the ancient chinampas have been converted to huge flower gardens, with canals weaving among them. Colorful, flat-bottomed boats called trajineras take visitors on cruises through the canals. Xochimilco has fewer chinampas now because the water level of the lake has dropped, and many areas have been built over. In less visited areas of the city, however, farmers still raise corn, spinach, lettuce, and other vegetables on their chinampas.

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