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How did the Aztecs grow food using chinampas?
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Aztec
Aztec round dance for Quetzalcóatl and Xolotl (a dog-headed god who is Quetzalcóatl's companion), detail from a facsimile Codex Borbonicus (folio 26), c. 1520; original in the Chamber of Deputies, Paris, France.
The Aztecs cultivated food using chinampas, which are artificial islands built on freshwater lakes. These narrow islands, constructed from vegetation, dirt, and mud, were irrigated by the lake water, which was rich in decomposing organic matter that fertilized the soil. This method allowed for intensive and highly productive farming, even in areas with limited arable land. The chinampas were crucial for feeding the large population of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, and were a significant achievement in Mesoamerican agriculture. The primary crops grown were corn, beans, and squash, often cultivated together.123