FactSentinel

Oxford University is indeed older than the Aztec Empire by a considerable margin. Teaching at Oxford began in 1096, and the institution rapidly developed into a recognized university during the 12th century, with records confirming its existence by 1167. By contrast, the Aztec Empire was founded in 1428 when three city-states formed the Triple Alliance that would dominate central Mexico until the Spanish conquest in 1521.

The timeline reveals a gap of over 250 years between Oxford's establishment and the founding of the Aztec Empire. When Oxford was already educating students in theology, law, and the liberal arts during the 1200s, the people who would become the Aztecs were still a nomadic tribe searching for a permanent home in the Valley of Mexico. They wouldn't establish their capital city of Tenochtitlan until 1325, and the empire itself wouldn't emerge for another century after that.

This comparison highlights how institutions in medieval Europe achieved remarkable longevity while major civilizations rose and fell elsewhere in the world. Oxford has operated continuously for over 900 years, surviving the Black Death, the English Civil War, two World Wars, and countless social transformations. Meanwhile, the Aztec Empire, despite its impressive achievements in architecture, agriculture, and governance, lasted less than a century before Spanish conquistadors brought about its collapse. The fact underscores both Oxford's extraordinary endurance and the relatively brief span of the Aztec imperial period.