What does the use of floating gardens by the Incas and Aztecs exemplify?

The use of floating gardens, or chinampas in the case of the Aztecs and similar innovations by the Incas, exemplifies the remarkable ability of these civilizations to adapt to their geographic challenges. Both cultures developed these agricultural methods to maximize the use of their environments, particularly in areas where regular soil farming would be difficult due to the presence of lakes, wetlands, or mountainous terrains.

For the Aztecs, chinampas allowed them to create arable land on water, significantly increasing their agricultural output to support a growing population in Tenochtitlán. Similarly, the Incas utilized terrace farming in mountainous regions to build effective agricultural systems that prevented soil erosion and enabled the cultivation of diverse crops at different altitudes. This adaptation is a testament to their ingenuity and resourcefulness in addressing the challenges posed by their landscapes.

Understanding this aspect of their agricultural practices highlights the ways these civilizations were not only responding to their environments but were also innovating to thrive in them, laying foundations for complex societal developments.