The Chinampa were a form of agriculture primarily used in which city?

• A. Teotihuacan
• B. Cuzco
• C. Tenochtitlan
• D. Machu Picchu

Answer: (C)

Chinampa farming is an urban agriculture innovation tied to the Aztecs around their capital on Lake Texcoco. Farmers built small, rectangular beds by piling lake mud and vegetation and anchoring them with stakes, creating floating gardens that could be irrigated and harvested efficiently. The proximity to the city allowed frequent cropping, supporting a large population and bustling markets. This method is distinctive to the Aztec core in Tenochtitlan, whereas Teotihuacan predates them with different systems, and the Andes sites of Cuzco and Machu Picchu belong to the Inca who used terrace farming rather than chinampas. Chinampa farming was primarily used in Tenochtitlan.