Podcast
Questions and Answers
Historians are not creative writers like ______.
Historians are not creative writers like ______.
novelists
Historical sources are broadly classified into two types: ______ and Secondary.
Historical sources are broadly classified into two types: ______ and Secondary.
Primary
______ sources are surviving traces of the past available to us in the present.
______ sources are surviving traces of the past available to us in the present.
Primary
Examples of ______ sources are articles, books, textbooks, biographies, and published stories or movies about historical events.
Examples of ______ sources are articles, books, textbooks, biographies, and published stories or movies about historical events.
It is said that “where there are no ______, there is no history”.
It is said that “where there are no ______, there is no history”.
Historians use a combination of ______ sources to study the history of Ethiopia and the Horn.
Historians use a combination of ______ sources to study the history of Ethiopia and the Horn.
Oral ______ is a type of oral data that is passed from one generation to another through folk songs and folk sayings.
Oral ______ is a type of oral data that is passed from one generation to another through folk songs and folk sayings.
Before using historical sources, historians must ______ them for their originality and authenticity.
Before using historical sources, historians must ______ them for their originality and authenticity.
Sima Qian is an important figure in ______ historical thought and writing.
Sima Qian is an important figure in ______ historical thought and writing.
Historians must find ______ about the past and come up with explanations that make sense of what the evidence says.
Historians must find ______ about the past and come up with explanations that make sense of what the evidence says.
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Study Notes
Historical Sources
- Historians rely on evidence from sources to support their work, as they are not creative writers like novelists.
- Sources are essential for studying and writing history, and "where there are no sources, there is no history."
Primary Sources
- Primary sources are surviving traces of the past that are original or first-hand in their proximity to the event.
- Examples of primary sources include:
- Manuscripts (handwritten materials)
- Diaries
- Letters
- Minutes
- Court records and administrative files
- Travel documents
- Photographs
- Maps
- Video and audiovisual materials
- Artifacts such as coins, fossils, weapons, utensils, and buildings
Secondary Sources
- Secondary sources are second-hand published accounts about past events, often based on primary sources.
- Examples of secondary sources include:
- Articles
- Books
- Textbooks
- Biographies
- Published stories or movies about historical events
Oral Data
- Oral data constitute another category of historical sources.
- Oral sources are valuable for studying and documenting the history of non-literate societies.
- Oral sources can also be used to fill missing gaps and corroborate written words.
Evaluating Sources
- Historians must subject all sources to critical evaluation before using them as evidence.
- Primary sources must be verified for their originality and authenticity.
- Secondary sources must be examined for the reliability of their reconstructions.
- Oral data may lose its originality and authenticity over time and must be crosschecked with other sources.
Historiography
- Historiography is the history of historical writing, studying how knowledge of the past is obtained and transmitted.
- Historiography has a briefer career throughout the world, introduced by ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Thucydides.
- The Chinese tradition of historical thought and writing was led by figures like Sima Qian.
- History emerged as a distinct academic discipline in the modern era.
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