Oxford University Is Older Than the Aztec Empire
A split image showing the medieval Oxford spires on one side and the grand temples of Tenochtitlan on the other, with dates showing Oxford came first
Teaching at Oxford began around 1096 CE, while the Aztec Empire was founded in 1428 CE. Oxford was already over 300 years old and had produced multiple chancellors before the Aztecs even began building Tenochtitlan.
Why Itβs Interesting
We think of the Aztecs as ancient and universities as modern, but reality is the opposite. This fact reveals how our mental model of history is warped by cultural familiarity rather than actual chronology.
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