The Oxford University Predates the Aztec Empire

While the great (Review) city of Tenochtitlan was yet to be imagined, scholars were already gathering for instruction in a small city in England. Evidence of teaching at Oxford dates as far back as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Its growth was gradual and organic, solidifying significantly after 1167 when King Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. This influx of scholars led to a more structured institution, and by 1249, the university's first college, University College, was established. By this time, Oxford was already a recognized center for theology and the liberal arts, with a royal charter granted in 1248.

Across the Atlantic, the Mexica people were on a long migration, searching for a divine sign to found their new home. According to their tradition, they were seeking a prophesied vision: an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak. They finally witnessed this sign on a swampy island in the middle (Review) of Lake Texcoco and established their capital, Tenochtitlan, in 1325. This means that by the time the foundational stone was laid for what would become the heart of the Aztec Empire, Oxford had been operating as a center of learning for more than 200 years, a stark illustration of two distinct civilizations developing on vastly different timelines.