The Historian

Question 1

Definition of history

Answer 1

The study of the past

Question 2

Definition of a historian

Answer 2

Someone who is an expert in or a student of history

Question 3

Definition of a source

Answer 3

Something that gives us information or evidence about a person, place or thing in the past

Question 4

Definition of prehistory

Answer 4

The period of time before writing was used.

Question 5

Definition of Archeology

Answer 5

The study of the remains left by people in the past

Question 6

Definition of an archaeologist

Answer 6

Someone who investigates places and objects left by people in the past

Question 7

What’s a primary source

Answer 7

A primary source is a source from the time in question; it is first hand information directly from the past

Question 8

What’s a secondary source

Answer 8

A secondary source is a source from a later date, after the time in question

Question 9

Name 5 examples of a primary source

Answer 9

Artefacts

Letters

Posters

Autobiography

Diaries

Question 10

Name 5 examples of a secondary source

Answer 10

Films

Podcasts

Websites

History books

Handling boxes

Question 11

Definition of a historical repository

Answer 11

a Place where evidence of the Past can be stored and maintained eg artefacts, PhotograPhs , government documents. Example’s include libaries archives and museums.

Question 12

Definition of an Archive

Answer 12

A place that catalogues and stores a collection of written or printed sources, e.g. national archives of Ireland in Dublin

Question 13

Definition of a museum

Answer 13

A place that collects and displays objects for public education and appreciation, e.g. national museum in Dublin

Question 14

Definition of cross checking

Answer 14

Is when more than one source is used to make sure information is correct

Question 15

Give 3 reasons why we study history

Answer 15

To learn how people lived before us

To recognise patterns of change

To avoid making mistakes that our ancestors made

Question 16

Definition of accuracy

Answer 16

Involves judging how correct the information is

Question 17

Definition of bias

Answer 17

Is when an account is not balanced, but unfairly favours one side

Question 18

Definition of Exaggeration

Answer 18

Is when something is represented as better or worse than it actually was

Question 19

Definition of propaganda

Answer 19

Is information that has been designed to influence the attitudes and behaviours of people

Question 20

Definition of reinterpretation

Answer 20

Means to see something in a new or different light.

Question 21

Definition of a census

Answer 21

An official survey of the population. In Ireland, a census is held every five years

Question 22

What is an artefact

Answer 22

A man made object from the past e.g. tools, weapons, toys and pottery

Question 23

What is a handling box

Answer 23

It’s a box containing an exact replica of artefacts , so that anyone can examine them without damaging the original

Question 24

What is chronology

Answer 24

Putting events into the order or sequence in which they happened

Question 25

How long is a decade

Answer 25

10 years

Question 26

How long is a century

Answer 26

100 years

Question 27

How long is a millennium

Answer 27

1000 years

Question 28

What does BC or BCE stand for?

Answer 28

Before Christ or before common era

Question 29

What does AD or CE stand for?

Answer 29

Anno domini or common era

Question 30

Definition of archaeology

Answer 30

Is the study of the remains left by people in the past

Question 31

Definition of excavation

Answer 31

Is when an archaeologist digs up the ground to find evidence left by people in the past

Question 32

What’s a rescue archaeology

Answer 32

By carrying out a dig before a new building or road is build to ensure no artefacts are lost or damaged

Question 33

What was found by the farmer digging potatoes

Answer 33

Ardagh chalice

Question 34

Definition of a tactile source

Answer 34

A source that can be touched - like a physical object

Question 35

Definition of research archaeology

Answer 35

Using old documents/ maps to investigate whether an ancient building or structure once existed on the site

Question 36

Definition of aerial photographs

Answer 36

It may reveal ancient structures not visible on ground level

Question 37

What are test trenches

Answer 37

They are holes that archaeologists dig to decide wether the site is worth excavating

Question 38

Explain radio carbon dating

Answer 38

All living things - humans, animals and plants - contain a substance called carbon-14 when they are
alive. After death, the level of carbon-14 in the once-living tissue begins to drop at a steady rate.

Question 39

Explain drendrochology

Answer 39

also called tree-ring dating, is a - Bark method of dating that uses the unique growth patterns Scar from forest fire of tree rings as a guide. If you cut through a tree trunk, you will see rings spreading from the centre outwards: First year growth Rainy season each one is a year of growth. The rings are wider when Dry season the tree grew quickly, for example when the summer was good.

This makes it possible to find out when a tree was cut down to make an artefact or structure and so it can be used to date wooden objects.

Question 40

Explain stratigraphy

Answer 40

The method of stratigraphy is used to date artefacts and evidence by how deep in the ground they were when found: the deeper they are, the older they will be.

Question 41

Explain pollen analysis

Answer 41

Pollen analysis is the study of pollen remains to find out what was growing at a site during a particular time period. Archaeologists have records of when certain pollens were common, so if they find that pollen when excavating, they can match it to the correct period.

Question 42

Explain geophysical surveying

Answer 42

A geophysical survey is like an X-ray of the ground: maps and images of any archaeological evidence underground are made without an excavation.