Agriculture:Much of the soil in ancient Mayan was extremely rocky. Although this occurred, vegetation thrived because they received about 36 inches of rain per year. They also received water in their natural wells called cenotes (“Maya Agriculture”). This supplied them with water from the underground rivers when they could not rely on their cenotes.
(Picture next are people planting and working on their land) Farmers Food:They ancient mayans grew pumpkins, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, chili peppers, tomatoes, chote, avocados, breadfruit, papaya, cotton, tobacco, sweet potatoes, vanilla, cacao, and a wide variety of wild fruit (“Maya Agriculture”). The Mayans were very thankful for all the food that they rain gods brought as it helped with trade and feeding their families.
(Picture next are the types of terraces) Techniques:As farmers adjusted their methods and techniques to the weather and climate habits, they developed a method of field rotation. This allowed them to abandon a field, start a new one and come back to their abandoned field. Basic concepts were not as commonly practiced. They would use stone tools and flint axes to clear vines and underbrush. Seeds were planted just prior to the rainy season in shallow holes with digging sticks (“Maya Agriculture”). If rain did not come at the right time, it was great economic hardship for the farmers.
They had slash and burn farming otherwise known as milk. These were used in forested areas. It involved cutting down the growth in an area and burning it which resulted in using field to plant and mix the ashes with the soil. Terrace farming was used in more mountainous areas and hillsides to make usable plots. Raised field farming was used in the lowlands and swampy parts of the Mayan world. The mud was dug up and raised into field and rose above water canals. The plants few on the canals like water lilies and this kept them from drying up as the farmers used this a fertilizer ("Ancient Mayan Agriculture"). (Picture next are people working on their agriculture) |
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