#aztecs #engineers The Aztecs didn’t just build an empire—they engineered one. One of their most remarkable innovations was the chinampa: an artificial island used for farming in the shallow lakebeds of the Valley of Mexico. These “floating gardens” weren’t truly floating—they were built on submerged plots of land using layers of mud, lake sediment, and plant material, reinforced with woven reed fences and willow trees. Chinampas allowed the Aztecs to grow crops year-round with unmatched efficie