To understand history, we rely on sources: the traces and testimonies left behind by past generations. These include written records, objects, and even language, art, and traditions. Historians study and interpret such evidence to reconstruct the past as accurately as possible.
Types of Historical Sources
Sources can be grouped as:
- Remains, which are direct traces of the past, such as buildings, coins, graves, and tools.
- Abstract remains, including language, customs, and social institutions.
- Written remains, like letters, contracts, or legal documents.
- Traditions, which are intentional records of events, such as chronicles, biographies, and reports.
Modern historians also use films, photos, and eyewitness accounts as valuable historical evidence.
Written Sources
Documents and laws are key examples. A document is an official written statement, often a contract confirming or creating rights. From ancient charters to modern laws, these texts reveal how societies were organized and what values they held. Laws, such as the medieval Sachsenspiegel or Germany’s Basic Law, reflect social norms and justice systems, but they often express the perspective of those in power.
Narrative Sources
Annals and chronicles record events year by year or over longer periods. Biographies and reports describe individual lives or specific events, and diaries and letters provide deeply personal insights, for instance, The Diary of Anne Frank.
Material Evidence
Objects, ruins, and archaeological finds reveal how people lived, worked, and built their environments. For prehistoric times, these artifacts are often our only sources. Even language and idioms, such as regional speech forms, preserve traces of history.
Historical Methods
In studying history, historians analyze, interpret, and critically evaluate sources. They compare primary and secondary materials, conduct interviews with witnesses, and engage in active learning projects, such as simulations, role-playing, or reconstructing historical buildings, to gain a deeper, more vivid understanding of the past.