From Floating Gardens to Chocolate: The Incredible Innovations of the Aztecs

The Aztecs were an ancient civilization that ruled parts of central Mexico between the 14th and 16th centuries. They were known for their innovative and advanced technologies in agriculture, architecture, medicine, and art. However, two of their most impressive innovations are the floating gardens and chocolate.

The Floating Gardens or Chinampas

The Aztecs lived in a region that was mostly made up of marshes and swamps. To address the scarcity of arable land, they created floating gardens or chinampas. These were artificial islands made by weaving together reeds and branches, and then layering them with mud and soil from the lake bottom. Once the layering was finished, plants were then planted on the newly created island.

The chinampas were an impressive innovation that allowed the Aztecs to grow crops like maize, beans, chili peppers, tomatoes, and avocados despite living in an area with no fertile land. The floating gardens system allowed the Aztecs to have a year-round harvest, unlike their competitors who only had one harvest in a year. By present-day standards, the chinampas could be considered an early version of hydroponic farming, which is a process of growing plants without soil.

The Aztecs found that the stagnant water of the marshes that surrounded their city was an excellent fertilizer that fed the plants. They could also collect fish swimming in the channels between each chinampa. Moreover, the land was so fertile that it could sustain sufficient food production for the entire population, which was necessary for their civilization’s survival.

Chocolate

The Aztecs also produced chocolate, which they drank as a frothy, bitter beverage. The chocolate was made from the cocoa tree bean, and it was a royal drink reserved for the wealthy and high-class members of Aztec society. However, the process of making chocolate was much more complicated than it is today.

The Aztec cocoa beans went through a process of being fermented, roasted, and ground, which was then mixed with water and spiced with chili peppers and vanilla. The mixture had to be whipped up to create the signature froth that was famous among the Aztecs. This process of making chocolate was so difficult and elaborate that it was done only by a few people in society.

The cocoa bean was not just a luxurious drink for the wealthy. It was essential to the Aztec economy, and they even used it as currency at one point. The chocolate produced by the Aztecs was not just for drinking but also for religious purposes. The Aztecs believed that the cocoa bean had a divine power, and they would sacrifice young women to the gods and use cocoa beans as an offering.

Conclusion

The Aztecs were a highly innovative and advanced society. Their technologies may have been created out of necessity, but they had remarkable benefits such as providing enough food production for the entire population and producing high-quality chocolate. These are only two examples of many other impressive innovations that have influenced modern-day technologies. Without the Aztecs, we may never have known the pleasure of eating chocolate or the benefits of hydroponic farming.