INTERPRETING INTERPRETING HISTORY:HISTORY:

HISTORICAL EVIDENCEHISTORICAL EVIDENCE

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ARCHAEOLOGYARCHAEOLOGY

Historical EvidenceHistorical Evidence

Historians use both Historians use both written and non-written and non-written sources to written sources to learn about the past.learn about the past.

Written sources Written sources include books, letters, include books, letters, diaries, writings on diaries, writings on monuments-- monuments-- anything with writing.anything with writing.

Non-written Non-written sources include sources include fossils, artifacts, fossils, artifacts, music and oral music and oral tradition.tradition.

Historians must Historians must examine examine information and information and decide how to decide how to interpret it.interpret it.

The Evaluation of The Evaluation of Sources Sources Historians ask questions Historians ask questions

about a source to about a source to determine how accurate determine how accurate and useful it is.and useful it is.

Primary sources are Primary sources are materials created in the materials created in the same time period as the same time period as the events described.events described.

Secondary sources are Secondary sources are materials created later materials created later by people who studied by people who studied the original or primary the original or primary sources.sources.

The Puzzle of HistoryThe Puzzle of History

Each generation has Each generation has historians who gather historians who gather and interpret sources and interpret sources of information about of information about the past. The the past. The interpretation varies interpretation varies from generation to from generation to generation.generation.

Historians work to Historians work to understand not only understand not only what happened in the what happened in the past, but also how past, but also how and why it happened.and why it happened.

Unlocking the Unlocking the Archaeological RecordArchaeological Record

Archaeology is the Archaeology is the recovery and study recovery and study of artifacts, ruins, of artifacts, ruins, bones and fossils bones and fossils from the past.from the past.

By studying the By studying the archaeological archaeological record, record, archaeologists can archaeologists can learn many things learn many things about the past.about the past.

Archaeologists Archaeologists slowly remove slowly remove earth at a site earth at a site and carefully and carefully record the exact record the exact location of location of everything they everything they find.find.

Dating the InformationDating the Information

Archaeologists use Archaeologists use two methods to two methods to determine the age of determine the age of an artifact, cultural an artifact, cultural dating and scientific dating and scientific dating.dating.

Cultural dating Cultural dating compares the objects compares the objects found at a site with found at a site with objects whose dates objects whose dates and information are and information are already known.already known.

Scientific dating Scientific dating techniques bring techniques bring small samples of small samples of the objects found the objects found at a site into a at a site into a laboratory for laboratory for detailed analysis.detailed analysis.

Interpreting the Interpreting the EvidenceEvidence

Archaeologists must Archaeologists must interpret the interpret the evidence they evidence they collect just as collect just as historians do.historians do.

Different Different archaeologists come archaeologists come to different to different conclusions about conclusions about the materials they the materials they examine.examine.

Classic ExcavationClassic Excavation

The purpose of The purpose of classic classic archaeology was archaeology was largely to find largely to find treasures.treasures.

The excavation of The excavation of Tutankhamen’s Tutankhamen’s tomb is an tomb is an example of classic example of classic archaeology.archaeology.

The New ArchaeologyThe New Archaeology

Today, the purpose Today, the purpose of archaeology is to of archaeology is to understand the understand the lives of all people.lives of all people.

To study the lives To study the lives of people, of people, archaeologists archaeologists study all the study all the objects left behind, objects left behind, including rubbish.including rubbish.

Archaeologists Archaeologists also work with also work with other specialists other specialists to learn more to learn more about the climate, about the climate, soil, plants, soil, plants, animals, and age animals, and age of the area they of the area they are studying.are studying.

Evidence of Cultural Evidence of Cultural ContactContact

Clues about contact Clues about contact between ancient between ancient cultures are found in cultures are found in the archaeological the archaeological record.record.

Whenever different Whenever different cultures come in cultures come in contact, they contact, they exchange goods and exchange goods and ideas. This is known ideas. This is known as cultural diffusion.as cultural diffusion.