Agriculture And Ancient Mexico

How Modern Agriculture Grew Out Of Ancient Mexico

The country of Mexico is a gigantic land mass surrounded by water - the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Cortes, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. In the interior you'll find the Sierra Madre mountain range, desserts, rain forests, marsh lands, rivers, and lakes galore. With this geographical diversity, it comes as no surprise to find such a splendid array of natural resources.

The Mayan and Aztec cultures of Mexico influenced the development of ancient civilizations using these resources. But, you don't have to look to the past to see how these cultures still form the basis for much of our modern thinking.

Mayans created the calendar using mathematical formulas, predicting and tracking moon cycles and the stars, while aiding in planning crop plantings. The Aztec people gave us what we know today as the marketplace and built a great city incorporating aqueducts for both fresh water supply for people and crops, as well as sanitation, again for people and crops. Given the resources this huge land had to offer, these indigenous peoples built not only a culture, but what we still use today in modern agricultural practices.

Cultivating crops was a natural response to the creation of an advanced civilization. You had to have enough food to feed the large population that grew out of these cities. During ancient times, agricultural practices were developed to get the most use from the land. Let's take a look at how these practices came to be.

The Aztecs

Clearing trees from forests, then drying and burning them to form fertile fields to plant crops was done by the Aztecs. Man-made islands were built in the wetlands to create more farmland using a method we call 'dredging' today. These ancient farmers would dig up mud and plants from the bottom of lakes and ponds to create piles of earth atop the water. These islands or 'chinampas' were cultivated to grow crops for the growing cities.

The Mayans

Planting complementary crops is another modern agricultural practice we can trace back to ancient times. The Mayan diet relied on what we know as the "three sisters" - corn, beans, and squash. But, it isn't just that they taste good together and grew abundantly, they support each other in several ways.

 By planting these three crops together in a shared space, the Mayan provided a tall structure, the corn stalks, for the beans to climb, while the squash spread over the ground holding in moisture and keeping down the weeds. Planting these three crops together also ensured the soil would not become depleted of nutrients. Each crop took different nutrients from the soil and gave other nutrients back.

Do these agricultural techniques sound familiar? They should! These are the methods that are used today to find new land to cultivate and to increase the sustainability of the land that is found. The Mayans taught us to plant according to the moon, and to plant complementary crops. The Aztec taught us to create fertile land where there was no land at all, and to move water where it was needed and to use sanitation to your, and your crop's, advantage.

Isn't it amazing how we find the most advanced technology in the most ancient places? Remember that the next time you have fresh food on your table. Say a special thanks to the first people of Mexico!