September 2011

A historian is a person who studies and writes about history, and is regarded as an authority on the subject.

Herodotus (485 BC), was a Greek historian and one of the earliest nameable historians whose work survives. He is known as “The Father of History.” Titus Livius (59 BC – AD 17), known as Livy in English, was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people.

Studying ancient history is a challenge because: 1. Only a small number of documents have survived into the present day. 2. Few people were capable of writing histories, because literacy was not widespread in almost any culture until long after the end of ancient history. 3. The Roman Empire was one of the ancient world's most literate cultures, but many works by its most widely read historians are lost.

Historians have two major ways to better understand the ancient world: archaeology and the study of source texts. Archaeology is the excavation and study of artifacts (objects created and used by humans) and fossils (a part or imprint of something that was once alive). Primary sources are historical documents, written accounts by witnesses or objects that have survived from the past. Secondary sources are accounts of past events created by people after the event happened.

Primary Examples Letters Photographs Art Objects Government Documents History Books Books published today Secondary Examples

Can you guess of the following pictures are primary sources or secondary sources? Raise your hand if you’d like to take a guess.

As you read a primary source here are a few questions to think about: Who created this and why? Did they have first hand knowledge or here reports of what happened? Was this person impartial or biased? Did the person wish to inform or persuade others? When was this information recorded? As you read a secondary source here are a few questions to think about: Who is the author? What is the author’s relationship to the event? What type of evidence did the author look at? Are there any assumptions or bias? What do I know about this topic that can help me understand what I am reading?

As you view ancient artifacts (ancient coins, clothing, tools) ask yourself: Why was this object created? When and where was it used? Who used it? What does it tell me about the technology of that time? What does it tell me about the life and time of the people who used?

Questions to ask as you view a map: When was it made? What details are included or excluded? Why was it made? Is it accurate? How can it be used to think about the past, present and future?

Questions to ask as you explore art: What is the setting? When and where was it created? What is the subject of the art? What other details are present? What does it reveal about its subject? How can I describe the artist’s point of view?

Questions to ask as you analyze an Infographic: