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Understanding Historical Sources

This document discusses different types of historical sources that can be used for analysis. It identifies relics/remains and testimonies as two types of primary sources that provide direct evidence about the past. Relics were used in daily life, while testimonies served as records. Sources can also be intentional or unintentional. The document further categorizes sources as primary or secondary and written (literary, diplomatic, social documents) or unwritten (archaeological, oral). It notes historians use a variety of source types to develop accurate interpretations.

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Mayrylle Kye
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85 views26 pages

Understanding Historical Sources

This document discusses different types of historical sources that can be used for analysis. It identifies relics/remains and testimonies as two types of primary sources that provide direct evidence about the past. Relics were used in daily life, while testimonies served as records. Sources can also be intentional or unintentional. The document further categorizes sources as primary or secondary and written (literary, diplomatic, social documents) or unwritten (archaeological, oral). It notes historians use a variety of source types to develop accurate interpretations.

Uploaded by

Mayrylle Kye
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

From Reliable Sources: An Introduction to Historical Methods

RELIC OR
ARTIFACT?

Frescos from Cycladen island of Santorini Frescos from Crete


[Link]
[Link]
RELIC OR
ARTIFACT?

Hoi An’s Champa Ruins, Vietnam


[Link]
WHAT IS A SOURCE?

SOURCE- artifacts that have been left by


the past that exists as:

RELICS or REMAINS

TESTIMONIES
RELICS or REMAINS offer a clue about the
past simply by virtue of their existence.
TESTIMONIES are oral or written reports
that describe an event.

What
How
Why
Relics are typically used in the daily life
before.

Testimonies were composed to provide


proof of an act or a right that informs the
people about the fact.
Testimonies and Artifacts were created
to serve as records, however, there are
sources that are created intentionally
or unintentionally.
INTENTIONAL SOURCES
contain features not under the
control of their authors and have lives
beyond their original intentions
UNINTENTIONAL SOURCES
Are unintentional only in the sense
that they were not produced with the
historian’s question in mind.
“A source provides us evidence about the
existence of an event; a historical
interpretation is an argument about the
event.”
PRIMARY SOURCE
are immediate, first-hand accounts of a
topic, from people who had a direct
connection with it.
SECONDARY SOURCE
are one step removed from primary
sources, though they often quote or
otherwise use primary sources.
PRIMARY SOURCE

DIRECT- might be the letters or chronicles, a


law, or a poem.

INDIRECT- might be an inventory list of the


letters and books from which an
interpretation can be deduced.
SOURCE TYPOLOGY
TYPOLOGY OF SOURCES
WRITTEN
-Literary or Narrative
-Diplomatic
-Social Documents
UNWRITTEN
-Archaeological
-Oral
WRITTEN
LITERARY or NARRATIVE

Traditional classification that


includes chronicles or tracts that are
presented in order to impart a
particular message.
WRITTEN
DIPLOMATIC

Documents relating to legal


situation, treated as the best
“PUREST” source.
WRITTEN
DIPLOMATIC

Documents relating to legal


situation, treated as the best
“PUREST” source.
DIPLOMATIC sources composed of
three parts:
1. Protocol
2. Content
3. Closing
WRITTEN
SOCIAL DOCUMENTS

Products of record-keeping by
bureaucracies. Contains information
of economic, social, political or judicial
import.
UNWRITTEN
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

Tells historians a great deal about


culture of the area, ways of life,
artistic ambitions of the people.
UNWRITTEN
ORAL EVIDENCE

comes in the forms of tales and


the sagas of ancient peoples, or folks
songs and rituals.
“OTHER SOURCES”
Added as technology emerges

RADIO
TELEVISIONS
SOUND RECORDINGS
Even with the categories of sources,
historians still aid their interpretation
with a mixture of different types of
sources to come up with an accurate
historical argument.

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