8 Things to Know About Chinampas

The chinampas brings out captivation and the poster child for Aztec "ingenuity". Here are 8 things to know about this agricultural and engineering marvel:

1st drawing of maize to be seen in Europe

1. The word chinampa referred to the fence that formed its parameter

Chinampa or chinamitl meant “enclosed by reeds” in the Nahuatl language and it originated from the fences erected during the initial building of chinampas. The Spaniards called them as Floating Gardens, which upon further understanding of its construction, proved to be false.

2. There are 2 types of Chinampas

2 types of Chinampas existed: the Inlake and Inland chinampas.

The Inlake, according to Angel Palem, used the lacustrine deposits that formed in the edges of the body of water and it required the digging of ditches within this deposits forming rectangular plots and letting water flowed in it afterwards.

On the other hand, Inland, according to J.L. Lorenzo utilized the swampy terrains. Being the classic chinampas, the farmer cordoned off a rectangular area with reed fences. After which, like a tiramisu, layers of reed mat and mud served as the lady fingers while vegetation and lake soil became the mascarpone cheese in between stacking up to form a little islet. Then, they planted a willow tree called ahuexotl or ahuejote to hold the chinampas together and fasten it to the earth.

Chinampas, 1912

3. It is NOT floating

When the Spaniards arrived in the Mexico valley, their lack of understanding of the chinampas led to profound misconceptions. They called them “floating gardens” while in fact chinampas formed via land reclamation. The fences and the water flowing in between gave it the illusion of floating, hence the famous false imagery. 

In addition, the Spaniards also mistook the nurseries from which the seedling grew that indeed float on the lake for all chinampas. Hence, forget thinking of chinampas filling up the world’s rivers and lakes.

4. Aztecs did not invented Chinampas

Chinampas already existed for centuries before the Aztecs even established Tenochtitlan in 1325. The earliest Chinampas dated as far back as 1100 and tended by the Culhuacans.

Its emergence came as a result of lack of wide plains for traditional agriculture. The Mesoamericans then made do with the available terrain: swamps and lacustrine deposits in lakeshores. They turned this muddy yet nutrient rich soils into food providers. Areas of Xochimilco-Chalco lakes became centers of chinampa agriculture

5. Chinampas saved the Aztecs

Less than a century old, Tenochtitlan faced the crisis of war and starvation. The Aztecs or Mexica established their capital in 1325 in an inhospitable lands then bowed to the great power of the region, the Tepances of Azcapotzalco and its leader Tezozomoc. Mexica showed their subservience by paying tributes in kind and in large quantities.

Tenochtitlan leader Acamapichtli looked for solutions in feeding his people while saving them from war. He understood the capacity of chinampas in Tenochtitlan sufficient only for sustenance. According to Spanish historian Diego Duran, the Huitzilopochtli reassured them of his blessings and a bountiful harvest by expanding their chinampas. Sure enough, they met their food needs and tribute payment to the amazement of Tezozomoc.

Acamapichtli

6. Chinampas fed the Aztec juggernaut

Decades after Acamapichtli, his descendants Itzcoatl and Tlacaelel looked to the chinampas as a means to achieve food security and to power their ambition of expanding Aztec hegemony.

They along with other leaders of nearby city-states ganged up on Azcapotzalco and won. Tlacaelel looked for Tenochtitlan to fill the void left by Azcapotzalco and he understood the need to secure his food supply first. He and Itzcoatl then marched to capture the vital lakes of Xochimilco-Chalco for this resources, expanding the lands and organizing labor.

7. Chinampas fed most of Tenochtitlan

At its peak, 120 sq. km. of chinampas covered Xochimilco-Chalco lakes with its produce feeding the family tending it and the people of Tenochtitlan.

Due to its rich soil, chinampas served as a cornucopia. Basic staple maize grew from it alongside beans, squash, tomatoes, chili peppers, and also flowers. Farmers harvested at most 7 times in these chinampas.

The vast chinampas of Xochimilco-Chalco fed the more than hundred thousand population of Tenochtitlan one way or the other. Through rent and tribute payment collection Tenochtitlan received the produce from the chinampas. Farmers also had the option of selling their surplus to the markets of the capital city.

8. Chinampa-like agriculture existed outside Mexico

Chinampas served as an inspiration for ingenuity and resourcefulness in solving today’s food problem. However, the Mesoamericans are not alone in having “floating gardens.” In Bangladesh, they used water hyacinths and other vegetation to form floating gardens called dhap or baira to grow squash and okras for centuries. Likewise, the Intha people of the Inle Lake in Myanmar also used hyacinths to grow vegetables to supplement their fishing.

See also:

Feeding the Aztec Empire - the Chinampas
History of the Aztecs