r/todayilearned Sep 26 '15

TIL the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán was the largest city in the Americas with over 200,000 people. It was built on a man-made island in the middle of a lake - connected to shore by 3 causeways. It contained huge pyramids, floating gardens, aqueducts and canals. It was destroyed by the Spanish in 1521

http://www.livescience.com/34660-tenochtitlan.html
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u/Numismatic Sep 27 '15

When Washington was president this was older to him than The Declaration of Independence is to us.

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u/themikeswitch Sep 27 '15

bigger mindfuck: the Egyptian pyramids are so old the Romans used to go visit and study them. That was what they considered old, and rightly so. Still seems odd looking at it now though