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Questions and Answers
What is considered prehistory?
What sources do historians use to seek knowledge of the past?
How does history differ from myth?
What does history as an academic discipline use to describe past events?
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What do historians debate regarding past events?
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Study Notes
Defining Prehistory
- Prehistory refers to the period of time before written records, making it difficult to reconstruct events with certainty.
Sources of Historical Knowledge
- Historians use various sources to seek knowledge of the past, including:
- Archaeological artifacts and sites
- Written records, such as documents and inscriptions
- Oral traditions and eyewitness accounts
- Visual and material evidence, like art and architecture
History vs. Myth
- History is distinguished from myth in that it is based on verifiable evidence and aims to present an accurate account of past events.
- Myth, on the other hand, often involves supernatural or legendary elements and is not necessarily grounded in fact.
Describing Past Events
- Historians, as an academic discipline, use the concepts of time, space, and context to describe past events and their significance.
Debating Past Events
- Historians often debate:
- Causes and consequences of events
- Motivations and actions of historical figures
- Interpretations and implications of historical evidence
- The relevance and significance of past events to the present
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Description
Test your knowledge of historical events, memory, discovery, and interpretation with this quiz on the systematic study of the human past. Explore the period before the invention of writing systems, known as prehistory, and learn about historical sources used by historians to seek knowledge of the past.
