Answer :
Final answer:
The term 'floating gardens' refers to the chinampas, an agricultural technique used by the Aztecs to grow crops efficiently in the shallow lake beds surrounding their capital. However, the Incas primarily used mountain terracing and not floating gardens. Both civilizations showed advanced intensive agricultural practices to feed their large populations.
Explanation:
The floating gardens, known as chinampas, are an innovative agricultural technique employed by both the Aztec and Incan civilizations. These gardens were created by the Aztecs in the shallow lake beds surrounding Tenochtitlán.
Rectangular plots of land were built by layering mud and vegetation and anchoring them with poles, forming highly fertile tracks for cultivation. This method allowed for intensive farming of crops such as maize, beans, squash, and other produce which were vital for the subsistence and trade.
The Incas, on the other hand, used a system of terracing on mountain sides, not floating gardens, but both civilizations did demonstrate sophisticated agricultural strategies to support large populations in their respective geographies.
The chinampas were particularly effective, supporting more people per acre in the 15th century than the contemporary intensive rice farming techniques found in Asia and Europe.
