Question

Aztec chinampas were _______.
A.The name for the social class system that created a highly-stratified society.
B.The name given to the descendants of kings.
C.The floating agricultural beds used in the city of Tenochtitlan.
D.The collective name of the main deities of the sun and moon.
E.The name for the Mesoamerican sport that often ended in human sacrifice.

Answer 1

Hint:Aztec culture flourished in Central America from 1300 to 1521. They consisted of different ethnic groups organized in city-states and settled in and around the valley of Mexico. Mexica, one of the dominant city-states of Aztec, founded Tenochtitlan on islets of the Lake Texcoco.

Complete answer: When Aztec people reached Lake Texcoco, they saw an eagle with a snake perched on a cactus on an islet and took it as a sign from the Sun God to settle. They established the city-state of Tenochtitlan on the islet. As the settlement grew and more land was required, they started making artificial islands in the shallow lake basins. Eventually, they started cultivating crops like Maize, bean, squash, and amaranth on it. These floating gardens were called chinampas.
Chinampas were created by making underwater fences of reed and piling soil and aquatic vegetation on them. Willow trees were planted around it to protect it from wind and insects. The soil of chinampas was highly fertile due to organic matter-rich mud from the bottom of the lake and assured supply of water even in the dry season. Advantages of chinampas were soil aeration, moisture retention, high and long-term fertility, high productivity per area, and better drainage.

Hence option (C) is correct. Aztec chinampas were the floating agricultural beds used in the city of Tenochtitlan.

Note: Aztecs practiced multi-cropping by cultivating maize, beans, and squash together. These three were called the sister crops. Beans provided nitrogen for the other two crops. Maize stalk provided support to the weak bean plant. Lush green leaves of squash cover the ground and prevent water loss and weed growth. Chinampas was a sustainable practice.