Oxford evokes ancient colleges; Tenochtitlan, a Mexican capital disappeared under a modern city. Comparing them holds a surprise: the British university reports traces of teaching as early as 1096, while the foundation of Tenochtitlan is traditionally located in 1325.
The comparison requires two clarifications. Oxford does not have a perfectly established single creation date: teaching on the spot does not mean that all its colleges already existed. For Tenochtitlan, the INAH recalls the discussions around the chronology and considers 1325 as the date on which many authors agree.
The shorthand “Oxford is older than the Aztecs” erases too much. He compares an institution to a people and confuses the history of this people with that of a city. However, the two documented landmarks are enough to shake up our intuition: the European Middle Ages and Mesoamerican history belong at the same time.
What we know
Teaching attested in 1096, no single act of foundation. Comparison with Tenochtitlan, not with the entire existence of Mesoamerican peoples.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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