Historians And Archaeologists Flashcards
Prehistoric Period
Before writing was used
Historic Period
When people used writing
What is history?
History is the study of the past
What is a source?
Evidence that helps us build up a picture of the past
Primary Source
Come directly from the past. E.g letter or interview
Secondary Source
Evidence that comes from a later date e.g Movie or Biography
Bias
Favouring one side over another
Exaggeration
Making something look more important than it really is
Propaganda
A way of presenting (sometimes false) information in order to influence people’s opinions
Dendrochronology
A way of dating wooden objects by counting the amount of rings on them
Archaeology
The study of what has been left behind by people of the past.
Stratigraphy
Dating objects based on how far down in the ground they are.
Carbon/Radiocarbon Dating
All living objects including humans, animals and plants contain carbon 14. When they die, the amount of carbon 14 begins to decline. The less carbon 14 present, the older the object.
BC
Before Christ
AD
Anno Domini (the Year of our Lord)
BCE
Before Common Era
CE
Common Era/Current Era
Research Archaeology
A way of choosing a site to excavate because there is reason to believe that old objects might be found.
Excavate
Removing earth carefully from (an area) in order to find buried remains
Rescue archaeology
Digging on a site before new roads or buildings are built. They want to make sure no evidence or objects from the past are lost.
Accidents
Many sites are come across by accident. E.g a JCB digs up a human skull.
Geophysical Survey
This is like an x-ray, using a machine to look under the soil underneath the surface. It can tell archaeologists how much earth has been disturbed by human activity.
Survey
A study carried out on a site before archaeologists start digging
