Moral Socialand

Lesson1::Howand
StudyHistory why We
Why do we study history?
1.
tools and resources do we
2. What
history?
use to study

Key Vocabulary: field, branch, fossil, artefact,

philology, demographics

Introduction
Historyis the study of events which happened in
the pat and attempts to explain how and why these
events ocCured. People who witnessed an event
may remember it in acertain way. Memories may
fade. Stories about different events may become
combined. How do you know if stories about the past
are true?
astory might be
With apartner, Iist four signs that thata story mignt
true. Then, list four signs indicating
not be true.

HISTORY
 Moral Social and Cultural Studies

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1 not
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1.

2. 2.

3.
3

4.
4.

Why Study History? How

happened in the past at all?
events
Whystudy what today or in the future? Do ago
Can it benefit ushundreds or thousands of years
that happened in the present day?
influence our lives areas
After all, the be
questions.
These are
important
relevantto us.We should these
should be about
we study informationwe learn
fields need to have
the
able to applyown lives. Academic to have a
needs
areas to our our study of them
apurpose and
us.
practical use for
land Cultural Studies

Learning From History

"Those who cannot remember the past

are condemned to repeat it."

The Spanish philosopher and poet George

Santayana wrote this famous quotation in his book
The Life of Reason: The Phases of HumanProgress in
1905-1906. What do youthink he meant?
One interpretationof the quote is that if we do not
understand what our past mistakes are and learn
from them,then we willmake the same mistake
again.His quote was about more thanpersonal
mistakes. He was also referring tomistakes in history.
In order to understand our current social, cultural,
and politicalenvironment, we need to understand
how it has developed through history, where our
cultures and traditions have come from, how they
have evolved over the centuries, and what we
can learn from them. The job of the historian is to
discover these historicalfacts and preserve them to
give us a better-rounded picture of the evolution of
global civilisation.
Perceptions change over time. For example, in
ancient times, a civilisation expanded into new
territories by conquering and, often, enslaving the
people who were living there. Conquest by military
force was acommon method of acquiring land
and resources in the past. Now, an unprovoked
military advance into another country is considered
aviolation of human rights anda violation of
international law.
 Studios
Moral Social and Cultural

Conquest Was a Common method of acquiringterritories and

f history,
mOstof empires. It is noW viewed as a violation of international law.
r expanding

Branchessof HistoryY
study history? What tools and procedures
HOw do we
use? What do scientists do todiscover,
do historians historicalobjects and texts?
interpret, and preserve branches. Scientists
has several
The study of history
work in specific fields of activity to
and historians past.
make sense of the

Palaeontology

rmillions of years.
bones after
dinosaur
unearths
Carefullv
Apalaeontologist
furthest
deepest annddiscovering and
the
concerned humanfossilsfrom
looks with
Palaeontology
past/tis animal, and
Palaeontologists travelall
intothe plant, graduallydeveloping
ago fossils, different pointsin
cataloguingyearslocate
millions of at
Worldtolife was like
over the what Ancient Civilisations 183
picture of Beginning of History -
a The
essor
History
5ow and Why We
Stuciy
 time. After the fossils
are removed from
the ground, they are
studied in more detail.
Bones and other
organic matter may
be processed using
radiocarbon dating.
The radiometric dating
process examines
the level of certain
chemical particles in
bones and fossils to
A researcher carefully handies an
determine how long artefact after recovery. Bones like this
they have existed. This one are adirect link to history and
process helps scientists throughusadvanced techniques they tell
much about the past.
narrow downthe period
in which animals or ancient people lived.

Archaeology
This field is specifically concerned with the
development of human civilisation and culture.
Archaeologists travel to areas where ancient
civilisations are known to have existed and dig for
human artefacts, such as dishes, tools, building
materials,and weapons.
After discovering these artefacts, the job of the
archaeologist is to classify them into various
time periods and civilisations of human history.
Archaeologists use actual human productsto
support and extend existing textual information and
provide some context to textual descriptions and
explanations of historical events.
In this way, the impacts of
eruption ofthe volcano Mt.events such as the
Vesuvius in 79 CE Can
be evidenced in amore
In this sense, direct and accurate way.
more clearly archaeologists help us
how people lived in the understand
past and what
happened to them.

The Beginning of History - Ancient Civilisations

 Cultural Studies
Morai Social and

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Pompe, preseVedIin lava fromm the oruotio cof
runs of orntIge t
he Vegrs go and nowa UNESCO Worid

Anthropology
essentially a branch of anthropology.
Archaeology is
humanity. Anthropologists look at how
the study of evolvedthrough time from a social
humanshave
physical They examine
perspective.understand human
as wellas a human artefacts to
and classify
sOcieties and behaviours.
communication
human
Anthropologists lookat howthe evolutionof
developed bystudying
anthropologycalled
has branch of cultures and social
Ianguages, a human
studyunderstanding
philology. They also ofhow
gain a clearer spread,anddecline.
groups, to flourish, research
CIVilisationsemerge, anthropological cultural
areasof and
Someotherhistory,demographics,
includeart
psychology.

tgyptt Clent emaS.

digg1ngin
Archaeologists

The Beginning of History - Ancient Civilisations 185

Cultural Studies
and scientists from
for historians cOordinate their
It is important of specialisation to
multiple areas gaps in knowledge. In this way.
efforts to identify accurate picture of human be
more over time can
aclearer and transitioned
sOciety and how it has
Constructed.
advancements are continually
Technological welI.
add to our store of knowledge as used
helping us realitysimulators canbe
For example, virtual communities.
ruinsinto active, living
to turn ancient show us new areas to
dig,
imagery can
Satellite Ground-penetrating radar
detail.
and in incredible
pinpoint the exact locations
of buried
machines can
away that saves more time candmoney
objects in can help bring history
than ever before. These tools
to life in new andexciting ways.

Activity 1:Check Your Understanding

information from thetext.
Complete the following tasks using
to our knowledge of the
List three ways archaeology can add
past.

List threeuses of modern technology to assist historical

research.