Historians and Archaeologists

History is the study of the past and the story of human activity

• 1. The types of houses in which people lived
• 2. The jobs they did
• 3. How they spent their leisure time
• 4. The sports they played

The prehistoric period was before writing was used. An example of a prehistoric period is the Stone Age. We rely on archaeology for evidence in this period

The historic period was when people used writing. An example of a historic period is Early Christian Ireland. We know a lot about monks in Early Christian Ireland as they wrote books called manuscripts

Archaeology is the study of remains left by our ancestors

Sources are pieces of evidence, for example documents and pictures, used by historians to find out what happened in the past

A primary source comes directly from the past. Primary sources include diaries, photographs and newspapers from the time of the event

Secondary sources are evidence that comes from a later date. Secondary sources include biographies, historical movies and history textbooks

• 1. Read the source carefully
• 2. Ask when the source was made, where it was created, why it was created and by whom (4 w's)
• 3. Consider the 'Time and Place Rule' ; Was the source provided by a witness of the event or did someone create the source after the event
• 4. Decide if the source can be trusted
• 5. Cross-checking~ Comparing various sources to each other to see if they are historically accurate

• Is the source:
• 1. Biased~ Does the source favour one side or another? The views of the source's provider must be considered
• 2. Accurate~ Is the source historically accurate?
• 3. Exaggeration~ Was the said event really as important as the provider of the source said it is?
• 4. Propaganda~ Was the information altered to influence people's opinions of the event?
• 5. Time and Place~ Does the provider of the source know enough about the event? Were they present? Do they remember the details?
• 6. Opinions~ Historians must separate fact from fiction in order to make the source more reliable

• 1. If an event only lasted a short amount of time, historians can use months, days and hours
• 2. If the event took place in a certain year, historians can use BC (Before Christ) or AD (Anno Domini)
• 3. To refer to a less specific amount of time, historians may use centuries (100 years)
• 4. To refer to a much wider timespan, historians can use millenniums (1,000 years)
• 5. Historians can use a timeline to show the order in which a number of events happened

Artefacts are objects made by humans. For example coins, tools and pottery are artefacts and can be used as sources of information

• 1. Some are lost
• 2. Some are buried for safekeeping
• 3. In pre-Christian times, bodies were buried with there belongings as it was believed that they would need them in the afterlife
• 4. Over time abandoned buildings were covered in soil
• 5. Old buildings may be knocked down in order for new buildings to be built. The remains of these buildings can be preserved in the ground

• 1. Very hot conditions
• 2. Very wet conditions

Well preserved human bodies, known as bog bodies, have been found in the wet conditions of Ireland's bogs

The mummies of ancient Egyptian rulers, known as pharaohs, have been found well preserved in the very hot conditions of the Egyptian deserts

• 1. Research Archaeology~ If there is reason to believe that a site contains historical artefacts, the site may be used. For example a site may be excavated if a historical document indicates that there are buried artefacts at that location
• 2. Rescue Archaeology~ Archaeologists may dig up a site before a new road or building is built, in order to make sure they are not covering up a useful source of historical information
• 3. Many finds are discovered by accident, for example a farmer may dig up a Viking sword by accident while ploughing a field

• 1. Preparing the site
• 2. The dig

A survey of the site is carried out using one of the following methods:

• 1. Geophysical Survey~ An x-Ray of the underlying soil is taken to determine the level of human interaction on the site
• 2. Test Trenches~ These are dug out to get an idea of the amount of remains they can expect to find
• 3. Aerial Photographs~ These can be taken to determine the size of the site and to also show features that may be missed on the ground
• 4. Plan~ A detailed plan is made of the site. This involves dividing the site into numbered squares, one metre by one metre, that the archaeologist can study

• 1. The topsoil is removed, often using a JCB. Spades and axes may also be used
• 2. Trowels can be used to scrape away layers of earth
• 3. A handpick is used to loosen the soil
• 4. Brushes, such as toothbrushes, are used to gently clear the soil away from an object
• 5. Sieves are sometimes used to check to soil for small objects
• 6. Archaeologists often take photographs of objects once they are excavated

Excavation is when archaeologists dig in the ground looking for remains from the past

A study carried out on a site before archaeologists start digging

• 1. Post-holes~ Dark round patches where wooden poles used to build houses were placed
• 2. A dark square of soil may indicate where a fireplace once stood
• 3. A layer of darker soil may suggest that the site was destroyed by fire

Objects can be dated according to the depth at which they were found in the soil. The deeper an object is, the older it is

This is the scientific method used to date an object that was once alive. All living objects contain 'carbon 14'. When they die, the amount of carbon 14 begins to decline. The older an object is, the less carbon 14 it will contain

This is used to date wooden objects such as ships and buildings. Each year, trees grow a new ring of wood. The number of rings a wooden object contains, the older the wood is

• 1. Man or Woman?~ This can be determined by studying the pelvis or skull
• 2. Height~ This can be determined by the length of the femur bone
• 3. Age of Death~ This can be determined by examining the teeth
• 4. Cause of death~ For example a hold in the skull may indicate that a person was wounded
• 5. Religion~ If the person was buried with their belongings, they probably weren't Christian
• 6. Face Reconstruction~ If the skull is in good condition, it may allow us to see what the person looked like
• 7. Diet~ The bones can tell us hat type of diet the person had

DNA testing is when samples taken from the bone can be matched with living relatives to identify the body