Sources and Evidence

History is about Time More than just the hands on a clock Evidence Is it for real? Prove it.

 Historians use historical evidence to construct a picture of the past. They find the evidence they need to do this in sources. A source is anything which survives from the past or tells us about the past  A source becomes evidence if it is used to answer a question about the past

Lead Horse Armlet jewelry, Majapahit Empire Found in Fort Canning Earthenware Base

 Artefacts are items that were made and used by people of the past.  Examples of artefacts are tools and jewellery

 Maps  Photographs  Paintings/Lithographs Old map of Singapore

 Pictorial sources  Examples of such evidence include paintings, posters, photographs and maps.

 Books  Journals/logs/diaries  Newspaper articles  Memoirs Eyewitness description by Wang Dayuan in his book Dao Yi Zhi Lue: “The list of products exported to Temasik comprised hornbill casques of a very fine quality, as well as lakawood and cotton of moderate quality. While the range is rather limited when compared to the products avaliable at the Malay Peninsula, the quality and type of products were certainly unique. What was significant was the outstanding quality of the hornbill casques, which were not available elsewhere in Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.”

 Written sources  Written sources are anything that has been written down  Examples include official records, newspapers, personal letters and diaries, works of literature and folk stories that have been written down, and messages carved in stone.

 Legends  Myths  Speeches  Records of conversation

 Oral sources: This usually refers to the spoken words of eyewitnesses to historical events.  It is often recorded on tape and put in writing.  Examples may include stories, speeches, songs and conversations

Looking at the evidence provided: Which are primary sources? Which are secondary sources ? Why do we differentiate between primary and secondary sources?

 Evidence which is obtained firsthand or directly from the source. They are produced by participants of or eyewitnesses to events  All of the following can be primary sources: Diaries Letters Photographs Art Map Video & film Sound recordings Interviews Newspapers Magazines Published first hand accounts or stories

 Usually second hand accounts. Produced later by people who have not experienced the events directly  They act as a useful reference for historians and students who wish to find out more about the history of a period.  All of the following can be secondary sources: History textbooks Published stories Art Music recordings textbooks Biographies Movies of historical events Articles published in Newspapers

 Suppose there has been a car accident. The description of the accident which a witness gives to the police is a primary source because it comes from someone actually there at the time.  The story in the newspaper the next day is a secondary source because the reporter who wrote the story did not actually witness it. The reporter is presenting a way of understanding the accident or an interpretation. Primary SourceSecondary Source

Primary sources  created at the time of an event, or very soon after  created by someone who saw or heard an event themselves  often one-of-a-kind, or rare  letters, diaries, photos and newspapers (can all be primary sources) Secondary sources  created after event; sometimes a long time after something happened  often uses primary sources as examples  expresses an opinion or an argument about a past event  history text books, historical movies and biographies (can all be secondary sources)

The Mona Lisa - Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1506 A piece of the original Magna Carta signed by King John in 1215 A book about the Tudors written in 1999

A mug made in 2003 A cartoon of Napoleon made in 1975 Roman Coins made by the Romans in AD45 A modern print of a Van Gogh painting

 Is it authentic i.e is it what it really seems to be?  who wrote or drew it?  How reliable is it?  Is the evidence it gives typical?  What source have been used to produce it?  Are the sources on which it is based authentic & reliable  What sources have not been used  Is the historian biased in any way? Primary SourceSecondary Source

Fact versus Opinion Statement of fact Statement of opinion McDonald’s makes burgers McDonald’s burgers are the best

 See if you are able to pick out the factual statements and statements of opinion.

A diary entry of a school boy. 25 Jan 2011 School was terrible today. I overslept and was late for school. Of course the old tyrant Mrs Kwik had to be at the school gate to catch us latecomers. I had to stay in school for detention till 3.30 p.m. The Maths lesson was such a bore. I don’t understand why we have to learn all this algebra. Miss Lim took over our English lesson as Mrs Tan was sick today. That was the only interesting lesson we had the whole day. I think all teachers should be like Miss Lim. She lets us discuss and voice our opinions without criticising us or putting us down. To top off this lousy day, my football team lost the final game. David was just in front of the goalmouth and he missed it by a mile! He needs to get his eyesight checked!

A diary entry of a school boy. 25 Jan 2011 School was terrible today. I overslept and was late for school. Of course the old tyrant Mrs Kwik had to be at the school gate to catch us latecomers. I had to stay in school for detention till 3.30 p.m. The Maths lesson was such a bore. I don’t understand why we have to learn all this algebra. Miss Lim took over our English lesson as Mrs Tan was sick today. That was the only interesting lesson we had the whole day. I think all teachers should be like Miss Lim. She lets us discuss and voice our opinions without criticising us or putting us down. To top off this lousy day, my football team lost the final game. David was just in front of the goalmouth and he missed it by a mile! He needs to get his eyesight checked!

 Lack of funds  Difficulty in deciphering languages  False and exaggerated information  Misleading information  Lack of evidence  Bias information  Misinterpretation of evidence  Dating problems  Doctored photographs  Forced to withhold evidence – e.g. political  Checking for reliability  Destroyed artefacts

The Historian’s 3Cs C redibility - is the source trustworthy? C onsistency - are statements consistent? C orroboration - is the evidence supported by other evidence?

Artefacts and evidence These artefacts were found by archaeologists Han dynasty bronze vase Clay model of watchtower New evidence leads to new interpretations of the past

Evidence Fact vs opinion - the truth of what you think Different kinds of evidence - from the mouth to the ground The 3Cs of evaluation - the three tests historians use