The Maya Civilization
The Maya Civilization is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period in 2000 BC to AD 250, according to the Mesoamerican chronology, many Maya cities reached their highest state of development during the Classic period AD 250 to 900, and continued throughout the Post-Classic period until the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors.
In Central America, their main crop was the Maize. Maize is the ancestor of the domesticated Corn. One of the greatest challenges for agriculture in Mesoamerica for farmers is the lack of usable land, and the poor condition of the soil. Several different methods have been used to combat these problems. The two main ways to combat poor soil quality, or lack of nutrients in the soil, are to leave fields fallow for a period of time in a milpa cycle, and to use slash-and-burn techniques. In slash and burn agriculture, trees are cut down and left to dry for a period of time. The dry wood and grasses are then set on fire, and the resulting ash adds nutrients to the soil. These two techniques are often combined to retain as many nutrients as possible. However, in the jungle environment, no matter how careful a farmer is, nutrients are often hard to retain.
In Central America, their main crop was the Maize. Maize is the ancestor of the domesticated Corn. One of the greatest challenges for agriculture in Mesoamerica for farmers is the lack of usable land, and the poor condition of the soil. Several different methods have been used to combat these problems. The two main ways to combat poor soil quality, or lack of nutrients in the soil, are to leave fields fallow for a period of time in a milpa cycle, and to use slash-and-burn techniques. In slash and burn agriculture, trees are cut down and left to dry for a period of time. The dry wood and grasses are then set on fire, and the resulting ash adds nutrients to the soil. These two techniques are often combined to retain as many nutrients as possible. However, in the jungle environment, no matter how careful a farmer is, nutrients are often hard to retain.