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Questions and Answers
A historian is examining a document claiming to be a 15th-century trade agreement, but the paper includes a watermark that wasn't used in European paper mills until the 18th century. Which type of historical criticism is being applied, and what is the most likely conclusion?
A historian is examining a document claiming to be a 15th-century trade agreement, but the paper includes a watermark that wasn't used in European paper mills until the 18th century. Which type of historical criticism is being applied, and what is the most likely conclusion?
- External criticism; the document is likely a forgery due to an anachronistic element in its physical composition. (correct)
- Provenance assessment; the original text is from a known source and can be considered accurate unless disproven.
- Internal criticism; the document is likely authentic because the content aligns with known trade practices of the time.
- Semantic analysis; further research is needed involving linguistics to determine the veracity.
An historian discovers a manuscript detailing events from a well-known battle. Which question primarily relates to determining the authenticity of the manuscript using external criticism?
An historian discovers a manuscript detailing events from a well-known battle. Which question primarily relates to determining the authenticity of the manuscript using external criticism?
- What was the author's social status and how might it have influenced their telling of events?
- Does the ink used match the style of ink used during the period when the battle occurred? (correct)
- Does the account contradict other primary sources regarding troop movements and casualties?
- How does this account align with modern interpretations of military strategy?
A document's provenance refers to its:
A document's provenance refers to its:
- Origin and history of ownership, which may include analysis of handwriting, signature, and seals. (correct)
- Historical context in which it was created, including social and political factors.
- Internal consistency and coherence of arguments presented.
- Style of handwriting compared against other known samples and known history.
What is the primary goal of historical criticism?
What is the primary goal of historical criticism?
What is the purpose of 'patch writing' analysis in the context of external criticism?
What is the purpose of 'patch writing' analysis in the context of external criticism?
Flashcards
Historical Criticism
Historical Criticism
Investigates a text's origins to understand its historical context.
Primary Goals of Historical Criticism
Primary Goals of Historical Criticism
Discover the text's original context and reconstruct the historical environment of the author & recipients to understand the text's original meaning .
External Criticism
External Criticism
Examines the document's physical form for signs of forgery or misrepresentation.
Authenticity Test
Authenticity Test
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Provenance
Provenance
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Study Notes
- Historical criticism is a branch of criticism that investigates the origin of a text or source to understand the world behind it.
Primary Goals
- Discover the text's primitive or original historical context and its literal sense.
- Reconstruct the historical situation of the author and recipients of the texts.
- Understand the texts meaning in its original context, by determining who wrote it and when it was written.
Types of Historical Criticism
- External Criticism: Investigates the document's form.
- Looks for signs of forgery or misrepresentation.
- Tests the authenticity.
- Concerned with the explicit sign.
- Analyzes the original manuscript for integrity, localization, and date when written.
- Interested in writing style of the eye witness and ignorance of facts
Authenticity Test
- Determine the document's date to see if it is anachronistic, which helps test reliability of a source.
- Determine the author's handwriting, signature, or seal.
- Patch writing, hesitation as revealed by ink blots, pauses in writing, tremor, and erasure are aspects to look for.
- Look for anachronistic style, such as examining the idiomatic expression, set of conventions for writing language, or the orthography.
- Look for anachronistic references to events; if the document predates the actual event, check the place of origin to the actual events.
- Check the provenance or custody of document, looking at the roots of any source
- Semantics and hermeneutics should be investigated.
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Description
Explore historical criticism, a method to understand texts by investigating their origins. Discover the primary goals, including revealing the original historical context and reconstructing the author's situation. Learn about external criticism, which involves authenticity tests and form analysis.
