Different Reasons for Irrigation Development in Mesoamerica

Annotated Websites

1. Origins of Agriculture - Britannica - February 4, 2020
• Link: https://www.britannica.com/topic/agriculture/Mesoamerica
• Authors: Gray W. Crawford, George Edwin Fussell, Alic William Gray, Kenneth Mellanby, Kusum Nair, George Ordish, and Wayne D. Rasmussen
• Description: This article discusses the different agricultural systems present throughout different civilizations around the world. A section of the article discusses agriculture in Mesoamerica focusing on the different crops domesticated by these civilizations. Included in this article is a picture with a description of floating gardens in Mexico City which helped communities transport food and other materials to and from each other.
2. Chinampa: An Ancient Agricultural System - Nihopeku - February 2, 2018
• Link: https://hilo.hawaii.edu/nihopeku/2018/02/02/chinampa-an-ancient-agricultural-system/
• Author: Antonio Vera
• Description: This article discusses one of the irrigation system techniques utilized by Mesoamerican civilizations. This irrigation system technique that was used were called chinampas, and they were beneficial in aiding in the growth of the various crops that were domesticated. The article also discusses how these chinampas were built as well as how they could be destroyed to where these civilizations could not use them anymore due to contamination for example.
3. Maravilla Irrigation System and the North Piedmont of the Lower Teotihuacan Valley - Joshua J. Kwoka, PhD - n.d.
• Link: http://www.joshuakwoka.com/atlatongo-irrigation-system
• Author: Joshua J. Kwoka, PhD
• Description: This short research article discusses the Maravilla irrigation system that was discovered in Teotihuacan by multiple anthropologists. Dr. Joshua J. Kwoka goes into detail about taking the research done by anthropologists Pedro Armillas and Rene Millon, and further researching what they discovered. Dr. Kwoka goes into further detail regarding economic exchanges and obsidian consumption in this area of the Teotihuacan Valley.
4. Teotihuacan - History.com - August 21, 2018
• Link: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/teotihuacan
• Authors: History.com editors
• Description: This article discusses Teotihuacan being a great ancient Mesoamerican city as well as being the Aztec capital. This article is broken down into sections that discuss different aspects of the city such as who built and influenced the city, important items that were traded, and their religion. The article also discusses different theories on why this great city collapsed.
5. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) Dating - Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory - n.d.
• Link: https://www.radiocarbon.com/accelerator-mass-spectrometry.htm
• Author: n.a.
• Description: This website gives great and detailed information regarding what AMS dating is. The website also includes an easy-to-read infographic which discusses what AMS dating is as well as the limitations when using this dating method. It also lists some of the pros and cons of using this dating method.
6. Chinampas: the Ancient Aztec Floating Gardens that Hold Promise for Future Urban Agriculture - The Archaeologist - August 22, 2021
• Link: https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/chinampas-the-ancient-aztec-floating-gardens-that-hold-promise-for-future-urban-agriculture
  
• Author: n.a.
  
• Description: This website discusses an overview of what chinampas are. Chinampas are an incredible irrigation technique used by Mesoamerican civilizations which show what these civilizations were able to accomplish without the technology we have today. This website also discusses the construction of these chinampas, as well as areas in Mexico where they are still used today.
  
7. What is Mesoamerica? - ThoughtCo - July 1, 2019
• Link: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-mesoamerica-1588575
  
• Author: Suzanne Barbezat
  
• Description: This article discusses briefly the different countries that encompass Mesoamerica. This article also discusses some of the different civilizations that lived in this area. The interesting thing about this article is that the author also lists the different time periods such as the Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic time periods.
8. Pleistocene Epoch - Britannica - September 27, 2021
• Link: https://www.britannica.com/science/Pleistocene-Epoch
  
• Author: W. Hilton Johnson
  
• Description: This article discusses what encompassed the Pleistocene period. It discusses different environments and the changes they underwent during this period. This website also discusses fossil records that were dated.
  
9. The Three Sisters: the Traditional Intercropping Agricultural Method - ThoughtCo - November 28, 2020
• Link: https://www.thoughtco.com/three-sisters-american-farming-173034
  
• Author: K. Kris Hirst
  
• Description: This website discusses what the Three Sisters were in Mesoamerica. The Three Sisters included maize, legumes, and squash which were the main three crops to be domesticated in Mesoamerica. It also discusses how it was beneficial for these plants to be harvested together.
  
10. AMS Dating - The University of Waikato - n.d.
• Link: https://radiocarbondating.com/operating-procedures/ams-dating
  
• Author: n.a.
  
• Description: This brief article explains what AMS dating is, and the different items that can and cannot be tested. It also shows examples of artifacts that have been dated using AMS.