Knowra History History History is the study and interpretation of past events, societies, and change over time, grounded in evidence and shaped by questions about how the past is known.
Historical source : A document, object, image, or testimony used as evidence about the past. Sources provide the evidence historians examine to construct accounts of past events.
Source criticism : The examination of a source’s origin, purpose, context, and reliability. It helps distinguish what a source can establish from what it cannot.
Herodotus : An ancient Greek author whose Histories examined the causes and course of the Greco-Persian Wars. His work is an early surviving example of inquiry into human events and customs.
Collective memory : Shared representations of the past maintained by a group through stories, rituals, and institutions. It shapes historical identity but follows different rules from evidence-based historical scholarship.
Public history : Historical work produced for or with audiences outside academic institutions. It brings historical research into museums, media, communities, and public debate.
Historiography : The study of how history is written, interpreted, and debated. It examines how historians’ questions and methods shape historical accounts.
Primary source : Evidence created during or close to the period being studied. Such evidence can preserve contemporary perspectives while also reflecting their limits.
Thucydides : An ancient Greek historian who wrote an account of the Peloponnesian War. His analysis of political power and evidence influenced later historical writing.
Myth : A traditional narrative that expresses a community’s beliefs, values, or account of origins. Myths can be historical evidence without functioning as verified accounts of events.
Historical preservation : The protection and maintenance of sites, objects, and records valued for their historical significance. Preservation determines which physical traces of the past remain available for study.
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