Lake Chalco

Coordinates: 19°16′01″N 98°58′59″W / 19.267°N 98.983°W / 19.267; -98.983
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Lake Chalco with Lakes Xochimilco and Texcoco. Detail from the 1847 Bruff/Disturbell map
The Valley of Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest, c. 1519

Lake Chalco was an

Chalco
on its former eastern shore.

Lake Chalco and Lake Xochimilco were the original habitat of the

critically endangered
due to urban destruction.

Geography

Lake Chalco and the other Mexican great lakes (the

Toltecs and the Aztecs
.

Lake Chalco itself had a

artesian springs lining its south shore. This allowed extensive chinampa beds to be cultivated through the Aztec era. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
, these beds fell into disuse and were largely abandoned.

History

The shoreline of the Lake Chalco region was successful in its early history. Unlike its counterparts to the North, Lake Chalco's water was freshwater and was abundant with fish.[1] These factors lead to a period of growth in the Lake Chalco region, as around 500 BC the Chalco region was one of the most populated and dense areas in the Basin of Mexico. Around 500 BC there were around 21,810 inhabitants in Chalco, the highest at that time.[2] Its density was also the highest at 109.1 people per hectare.[2] After the emergence of Teotihuacan, the population dropped off greatly. However, there was another emergence of population in the region of Lake Chalco, and this was around 1400 AD, the population going from 75.0 people per hectare to 150 people per hectare.[2]

It is said that chinampas (in their current form) were introduced to the Chalco-Xochimilco lake bed sometime after 1400 AD.[3] It is highly probable that the growth of the Lake Chalco region was in correlation to the growth of chinampa farming.  However, this growth was not due to Lake Chalco inhabitants discovering chinampa techniques, as they existed on a limited scale from 300–1350 AD.[4] The Aztec empire, led by King Itzcoatl conquered the Southern region (Lake Chalco and Xochimilco) and used this area for chinampa development.[4] The Aztec Triple Alliance needed large amounts of foodstuffs to maintain the growth of Tenochtitlan and the control of other communities through tribute; therefore, they conquered lands optimal for chinampa farming.[4] The Triple Alliance did farm other areas of the valley, however, due to arid conditions the chinampa zone was optimal for their empire.[5] During the last years of Itzcoatl’s reign, he constructed a causeway that linked Tenochtitlan to towns near Xochimilco.[6] After the Spaniards came to the Valley of Mexico, and this land was no longer supported by the Aztec infrastructure; therefore, chinampa production died down.

Starting during the

Aztec
era and continuing into the 20th century, efforts were made to drain Lake Chalco and her sister lakes in order to avoid periodic flooding and to provide for expansion. The only lakes that are still in existence are a diminished Lake Xochimilco and the Lake of Zumpango.

A land speculator's draining of the lake in the late 1860s led to a tenant farmer (campesino) revolt organized by Julio López Chávez that was eventually put down by the federal government.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Tamayo, Jorge (1965). "Mexico's Fishing Trades: a short History". Artes de México. 68/69: 29–30.
  2. ^ a b c Parsons, Jeffrey (1974). "The Development of a Prehistoric Complex Society: A Regional Perspective from the Valley of Mexico". Journal of Field Archaeology. 1 (1/2): 81–108.
  3. JSTOR 214642
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 9781438468754
    .
  5. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0764-90
    .
  6. doi:10.1525/aa.1983.85.2.02a00010
    .
  7. ISBN 978-1-60846-776-1
    .

19°16′01″N 98°58′59″W / 19.267°N 98.983°W / 19.267; -98.983

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