1. Investigating History

2. Skills of the Historian Asks historical questionsResearches the pastThe HistorianEvaluates sourcesAnalyses and interprets evidence from the sourcesDraws conclusionsCommunicates their findings about the past 3. Skills of the Archaeologist... Investigates the past Identifies material sourcesThe Archaeologi stCollects and records evidence from the sources and makes observations Classifies evidence, placing it in its correct context of time and place Asks questions of the sources, interprets the evidence and draws conclusions Communicates and explains the past 4. The Nature of Evidence...how sources are used. Written SourcesSecondary Sources Evidenc eArchaeological SourcesPrimary SourcesReconstru ct the PastUnderstan d the PastUnderstan d the Present 5. Questioning Sources ... We need to ask questions of written sources.These include: Who wrote it? When was it written? Why was it written? Who would read it? (who could read in this society?) Are these events found in other sources? Are there contradictions in the source? What sources were available to the author? Are the conclusions / judgements sound? 6. FOR 39 YEARS MARRIED TO ONE HUSBAND...LEFT THREE SURVIVING CHILDREN BY HIM, A SON WHO HAS HELD THE HIGHEST MUNICIPAL POSTS THROUGHOUT THE FAVOUR OF AUGUSTUS CAESAR, ANOTHER WHO IN THE ARMY OF THE SAME CAESAR AUGUSTUS HAS HELD THE HIGHEST POST IF THE EQUESTRIAN RANK AND IS NOW MARKED OUT FOR A HIGHER RANK, AND A MOST VIRTUOUS DAUGHTER MARRIEDTO A MOST UPRIGHT MAN AND THROUGH HER, TWO GRANDCHILDREN... Roman Grave inscription from Corfinium, Italy 7. Questioning the source... The source is the ... The evidence is the ... 8. What can we learn about the owner of the tomb inscription? The owner is a woman She was married to one man for 39 years She had 3 living children one girl and 2 boys Sons had successful careers Daughter was married and had 2 children Reference to Caesar Augustus helps us to datethe inscription. 9. What was her name and how did she die? We can not answer these questions from theinscription. We need to either: Find another source Ask a different type of question 10. What other sources may be useful to us here? Perhaps her husband or another member of thefamily was buried nearby and has an inscription providing further information.