Economics-Elden

Chinampas were, of course, not just used for the capitol city, but throughout the Valley of Mexico around the lake bed. As the empire grew, more sources of food were required. At times this meant conquering more land, other times it meant expanding the chinampa system. Chinampas weren't the only type of farming that was used. There were **crops on the mainland**, as well as **gardens**, both small personal gardens and large experimental gardens. The gardens were a common feature in the homes of the ruling class. The people would also collect naturally growing food, such as algae in the water. Farms included crops of **maize, beans, and squash**. Tomatoes and chilies were also popular crops. But the gardens and particularly the chinampas were used to grow large amounts of flowers, making the Aztec farming land an even more lush and colourful place.Farming formed the basis of the Aztec economy. Corn was the most important crop.The Aztec Indians cultivated the soil with simple digging sticks, because they had no plows, draft animals, or iron tools. In spite of this primitive stuff, Aztec farmers produced enough food to produce enough food to supply not only their own needs, but also those of the craftsmen and government officials in the city.The people made their clothing from woven cotton or fiber from the leaves of the ce Part of their success came from the skillful way in which they used shallow lakes for raising crops. Men headed up soil from the lakes bottoms to form small islands of rich, moist earth, called chinampas. Later, roots from trees and plants from these islands interlaced and attached the chinampas to the lake bottoms. A few of these so-called floating gardens still exist near Mexico City. Dogs and turkeys were the only domesticated animals the Aztecs had. ntury plant.People carried most goods, because they had no wheeled vehicles or beasts of burden. A man could carry enormous loads on his back by means of a forehead strap called a tumpline. The people used canoes for water transportation. Trade was extremely important. Aztec influence spread as much by commerce as by war. The official Aztec traders were respected persons who also acted as spies. The supplies that came into Tenochtitlán from distant parts of the empire expanded, conquered tribes had to pay an annual tribute of goods, including rubber, feathers, and cacao from the low land regions of Mexico, and gold and precious stones from the south. This brought enormous wealth into the Aztec capital. People gathered on the last day of each week at the huge market in Tenochtitlán.
 * Maize** (also called //corn// or //mealies//) was the staple grain of the Aztec empire. Maize has been domesticated for thousands of years, and it likely first came into common use in Mexico, spreading to the rest of the world from there. Mexico is still one of the world's top maize growing countries. Corn could be ground into flour and used to make tortillas (a sort of flat bread, sometimes used to wrap a filling to make tacos), tamales and even drinks. Corn has transformed the world perhaps more than any other food. Today it's used not only in food, including candy and of course feeding the cattle that is eaten, it's even used in things like sticky tape and making boxes.
 * Aztec farming has become most famous because of the brilliant chinampas system that Aztec farmers used.** Certainly there were a number of techniques used in the Aztec empire. But with the great city of Tenochtitlan built on swampy but rich ground, the chinampas became key to the food production of the people.

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