Early Agriculture Systems

The Babylonians are the innovators behind the most well-known example of early advanced agriculture systems. Built nearly 2,500 years ago, [blank] hanging gardens are thought to be the earliest porotype of a vertical farm (vertical refers to the practice of growing the plants upward to maximize growing space). Beyond this ancient Wonder of the World, there are myriad examples of how civilizations have worked to [blank] their environments to make farming easier or more [blank] . One thousand years ago, the Mesoamerican Aztec society pioneered a form of hydroponics (hydroponics is the science of growing plants [blank] soil in a nutrient-rich solution). The Aztecs grew plants on marshy 'rafts' suspended in rivers and shallow lake beds. The remnants of these small, rectangular areas of fertile, arable land, known as chinampas, can still [blank] seen in Mexico City today.