The Floating Gardens: Aztec Chinampas and Tenochtitlan's Food

How did Tenochtitlan, an island city in a salty lake with a population of over 200,000, avoid starvation? The answer lies in the chinampas—ingenious artificial islands that produced up to seven harvests a year. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the engineering behind these 'floating gardens,' the crops that fueled an empire—maize, beans, amaranth, tomatoes, and more—and the role of tribute in feeding the capital. They discuss how the chinampas of Xochimilco still function today, the labor that built and maintained them, and the devastating impact of the Spanish conquest on the system. Specific details include the use of mud and decayed vegetation, the selection of seeds (tlalhuactli, huauhtli, et cetera), and the annual tribute lists from the Codex Mendoza. A fascinating look at one of history's most productive agricultural systems. #Chinampas #Tenochtitlan #Aztec #Xochimilco #Agriculture #Mesoamerica #CodexMendoza #Maize #Amaranth #Huauhtli #Mexica #LakeTexcoco #Tribute #CortS #BernalDAz #FloatingGardens #History #FexingoHistory #AztecEmpire #MoctezumaII Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo