Tools of the Historian

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Tools of the Historian

• World History Journey Across Time

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Historians Archaeologists

• Archaeologists are scientists who dig up the
  remains of the past.
• Historians study what archaeologists find and
  write about the past.
• They study how people lived, what happened to
  them, and what happened around them.
• They research and organize the data.
• They look for the causes and effects of events.

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How do Archaeologists Work?
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Measuring Time

• Historians rely on calendars and the dating of
  events to measure time.
• Calendars developed by many civilizations and
  based on important events in their history.
• Christian based on when Jesus was born.
• Muslim dates based on Muhammad
• Jewish based on Jewish belief of creation of
  the world.
• Dating Events We use the Western or Christian
  Calendar.
• B.C. (before Christ) events before Jesus was born
• A.D. (anno domini or in the year of Our Lord)
  events after Jesus was born
• Count backwards from A.D. 1 for events before
  Jesus was born.
• B.C. is listed after the number A.D. is listed
  before the number.
• 183 B.C. or A.D. 183

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Organizing Time

• Historians organize history by dividing it into
  blocks of time.
• Periods of History also called eras, are blocks
  of time that have common events.
• Pre-history
• Middle Ages
• Blocks of time
• 10 years is a decade
• 100 years is a century
• Numbered since Jesus was born.
• We live in the 21st century.
• 1,000 years is a millennium

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What is a Time Line?

• A diagram that shows the order of events within a
  period of time.
• Interval is even 100 years or 10 years etc.
• If the time span is too long to show all the
  events, a slanted line (//) may be used to show a
  break in the even spacing.
• Includes dates of important events that happen in
  a particular place.
• Can be stacked to show events in different places
  at the same time.

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How Does a Historian Work?

• Historians study a variety of sources to learn
  about the past.
• Where is the evidence?
• Primary sources firsthand evidence from people
  who saw or experienced an event.
• Written documents such as diaries, letters,
  official documents.
• Spoken interviews
• Objects such as pictures, clothing, tools,
  paintings/photos.
• Secondary sources created after the event by
  who were not there.
• Biographies, encyclopedias, and other books.
• Stories passed through generations

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How a Historian Works

• Examining Sources
• Determine where and when a source was created
• Also look at why the source was created.
• Was it a private document or a public one?
• Can the Source Be Trusted?
• Look for credibility or truthfulness
• What is the authors point of view
• Bias - unreasoned, emotional judgment
• Look at many different sources to collaborate

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Cause and Effect

• Historical events are linked by cause and effect.
• Cause is what makes an event happen
• Event is the event that happens
• There can be multiple causes of an event, and
  multiple effects that result from a cause.

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History and Geography

• Historians try to understand how climate,
  landforms, and human activities have shaped past
  events.
• Location absolute/relative location
• Place its characteristics
• Human/Environment Interaction how people are
  changed by or change the environment
• Movement exchange of goods, ideas, and
  information. Transportation and movement of
  people.
• Region common features that bring areas
  together.
• Can be defined by physical, political, or human
  features.

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What is a Historical Atlas?

• Maps give information about areas of the world at
  different periods of history.
• Historical Maps show political events such as
  battles, invasions, and boundary changes.
• Historical Routes show the way people or goods
  have traveled through history.