Mayan Farming Methods

I. AGRICULTURE

Farming was difficult to practice in Maya territory given the fact that they have dense forests with a small surface of water, or a poor soil. Hence, they developed three different methods of farming for the different soils. The first method developed was the step farming, which consisted in flattening the steps in order to make the irrigation process to be possible, this method was used in the Mountain territory. The second method employed was the rise of platforms around water canals in order to make possible the growth of crops; this technique was applied for the swampy lowlands and followed by the Aztecs, which later they improved this system until they developed the chinampas, which were floating gardens. The last method developed by the Mayas were the slash and burn technique, it was used for the dense forests; this technique consisted in the creation of a flat surface in order to plant the crops and the dig of water canals in order to make possible the irrigation of the fields.
Additionally, the Maya diet involved the consumption of meats, a few to mention were: the turkey, the deer, ducks, squirrels, fish (mojarra and crabs), bird eggs, jaguars, coyotes, monkeys and