The Art of Historical Detection

“It has shown me that everything is illuminated in the light of the past. " Jonathan Safran Foer

Periodization What are the key turning points in a time period? – Excludes non-essential events – Political, social, and economic contexts

Cultural or Spatial Diffusion The spread of ideas, artifacts, or cultural criteria from one society to others – Spread of televisions and computers around the world – Baseball’s popularity in Japan and Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic?

Syncretism Mixing of elements from two or more cultures that result in a new thing or civilization – Rastafarianism: mixing elements from the Bible (King James Version), Marcus Garvey’s Back-to- Africa movement, Caribbean history, and culture – Mahayana and Zen Buddhism (including mixtures of Daoism and Confucianism)

Comparison The pointing out and explanation of similarities and differences between two or more civilizations – In terms of their histories – Institutions – Accomplishments Focuses on specific elements OVER TIME, religions, gender differences, labor systems….

Common Phenomena Natural or historical events and developments shared by two or more societies or civilizations: Comparison, but more focused! – Climate – Disease – Natural Disasters – Invasions – Shared technologies What is shared and how did it impact societies?

What are the Tools Historians Use? Primary Sources – Diaries – Oral Accounts – Photographs – Maps, Art, Drawings – Autobiographies Secondary Sources – Textbooks – Library books – Biographies