Historians and Archaeologists

Question 1

What are historians interested in?

Answer 1

The types of houses people lived in
The type of food they ate
The types of clothes they wore
Tools and weapons
Burial customs
The jobs at which they worked
How they spent their leisure time
The sports people played

Question 2

Prehistoric period

Answer 2

The prehistoric period is before writing was used – we rely on archaeology for our evidence of this period

Question 3

Historic period

Answer 3

The historic period is when people used writing

Question 4

What is a source

Answer 4

It is evidence, for example documents and pictures, used by historians to find out what happened in the past

Question 5

sources examples

Answer 5

written, spoken, visual or an object from the past

Question 6

Primary source

Answer 6

Comes directly from the event, eg. photograph, diaries, speeches

Question 7

Secondary source

Answer 7

Evidence that comes not directly from the event, eg. history books, movies, tv shows

Question 8

Where you can find sources

Answer 8

• Archives
• Libraries
• Museums

Question 9

Steps historians take

Answer 9

Read or look at the source carefully
2.Ask themselves
•Where was it created?
•When was it made?
•Why was it made?
•By whom?
Examine how close the author was to the event being described 
Judge if the source is reliable
Use as many sources as possible to make sure their story is accurate

Question 10

Time and place rule

Answer 10

Examining how close the author was to the event being described

Question 11

Cross-checking

Answer 11

Using as many sources as possible to make sure their story is accurate

Question 12

how to judge the reliability of sources

Answer 12

• Bias
• Accuracy
• Exaggeration
• Propaganda
• Time and place
• Opinions

Question 13

BC/BCE

Answer 13

event happened before Christ

Question 14

AD/CE

Answer 14

happened after the birth of Christ

Question 15

archeology

Answer 15

The study of the remains left by our ancestors

Question 16

artefacts

Answer 16

Objects made by humans, e.g. coins, tools and pottery

Question 17

excavate

Answer 17

When archaeologists dig in the ground looking for remains from the past

Question 18

sources

Answer 18

Evidence, for example documents and pictures, used by historians to find out what happened in the past

Question 19

survey

Answer 19

A study carried out on a site before archaeologists start digging

Question 20

how do objects end up in the ground?

Answer 20

Some are lost
They can be put in the ground for safe-keeping and forgotten about
In pre-Christian times they were buried with dead people
Buildings abandoned and over time covered in soil

Question 21

good conditions for preserving objects

Answer 21

very cold conditions
•very wet conditions
•very dry conditions
•e.g. bodies have been found in bogs in Ireland

Question 22

choosing sites of excavations

Answer 22

research archaeology
rescue archaeology
accident

Question 23

research archaeology

Answer 23

when a site is chosen because there is evidence that objects could be found

Question 24

rescue archaeology

Answer 24

archaeologists sometimes dig on a site before a new road or building is built to make sure no evidence from the past is lost

Question 25

excavation steps

Answer 25

1. preparation
2. the dig
3. evaluation

Question 26

excavating a site - preparation

Answer 26

• Survey of site is carried out. Narrows down where to start digging.
• geophysical survey is carried out. Similar to x-ray, they use a machine to look at soil underneath surface. Can tell how much earth has been disturbed by human activity.
• Dig test trenches to get some idea of amount of remains expected to be discovered.
• Aerial photographs taken. Show size of site and pick up features missed on ground.
• Detailed plan is made. Site divided into numbered one-metre square areas to investigate.

Question 27

excavating a site - the dig

Answer 27

Topsoil removed, often with JCB. Spades & pickaxes also used.
Once topsoil cleared, archaeologists can begin to look for remains.
Use a number of tools during excavation:
-layers of earth scrapped away using trowel
-hand-pick used to loosen soil
-when object discovered, have to be careful not to damage. Use brushes and toothbrushes so its not damaged.
-photograph taken after discovery

Question 28

what soil can tell about the past

Answer 28

timber poles used for building houses leave dark round patches called post-holes
square dark patch suggests fireplace
layer of dark soil suggests site was destroyed by fire

Question 29

dating an object

Answer 29

coin with sword, coins usually have dates
pollen at site,
artwork & design can tell age, eg. piece of pottery

Question 30

methods of dating an object

Answer 30

stratigraphy
carbon dating
dendrochronology

Question 31

stratigraphy

Answer 31

Dates object by depth at which they are found.

Deeper object is found, the older it is.

Question 32

Carbon or radiocarbon dating

Answer 32

used to find age of object that once lived. All living objects eg. humans, plants, animals, have carbon 14. When they die, amount begins to decline. older an object - less carbon present

Question 33

Dendrochronology

Answer 33

Used to date wooden objects eg. parts of buildings or logs. V Every year tree grows new ring. Age of tree determined by number of rings in trunk.
Studying pattern of rings - can estimate age of wooden object.

Question 34

Where artefacts can be stored

Answer 34

university, museum,

Question 35

what we can find out from the skeleton

Answer 35

• Male or female - pelvis, skull
• Height of the person - length of thigh, ie femur bone
• The age - teeth
• Cause of death - evidence of wound eg hole in skull
• Facial reconstruction - can happen if skull well preserved
• Their diet - scientific analysis of bones
• DNA evidence

Question 36

Definition of history

Answer 36

the study of events that happened in the past and the story of human activity