Sources of History
A number of articles used by man in the past still exist . They are known as historical remains . Besides ancient coins and artefacts of day - to - day use , they include forts , caves , stupas and stone inscriptions . Customs , traditions , folk literature , folk arts and historical documents also help us to understand history . All these are known as sources of history ,
Sources of history are of three types - material sources , written sources and oral sources .
Material sources
can During the Stone Age , man used tools and weapons made of stone . In the later period , he used copper , bronze , iron and other metals to make his weapons and tools or implements . We learn about the technological progress made by man by observing the improvements in his tools and weapons . Ancient artefacts , buildings , caves , temples give us important information about their respective periods .
Some of the historical remains are found buried under the ground due to earthquakes , floods other reasons . Scientific methods are used to dig them out intact . This is known as archaeological or excavation . The excavated remains are studied using scientific methods . Archaeology is the science of the study of ancient remains .
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| An excavation site |
We can guess the period to which ancient artefacts like earthen pots belong by studying the shapes , colours , designs and thickness of their pieces . The omaments and other artefacts throw light on social inter - relationships . We learn about people's diet from the remains of foodgrains , seeds , and bones of animals found in the excavations . The remains of houses and buildings built by man during different historical periods are found in excavations . Coins and seals are also found . All these give us some information about human activities and the stages of progress made by mankind . All these are called material sources .
Written sources
The inscriptions on the walls of temples and caves , the inscriptions on stone or copper plates , pots , unbaked bricks etc are included in written sources ' .
Initially , man used pointed reeds to write on unbaked bricks , bhoorja - patra , tad patra , papyrus sheets , etc. He wrote using colours obtained from plants . Ink made by mixing together gum , soot and water was also used .
It took thousands of years for man to develop a script . As his experience and knowledge increased , he began to use different forms of writing . He began to record the events that took place around him . Accounts of court proceedings were written down . Many kings had their edicts , decrees and deeds engraved on stone or copper plates .
Over a period of time , many forms of literature developed . Plays , poems , travelogues were written . Scientific writing also developed . All this is included in written sources .
Oral sources
Sources of ancient Indian history
We learn about the ancient period of Indian history through archaeological excavations . The information obtained through them is especially important for the period for which no written sources are available . We learn about a person's age , gender from the human bones that are excavated . The relics of towns give us an idea of the roads , houses , buildings and town planning of that period .
Coins also offer us evidence about ancient history . Some coins carry the names of the rulers . The metal content of the coin tells us about the economic conditions of that period .
Precautions to be taken in writing history
It is necessary to take certain precautions while writing history with the help of these sources . We have to determine the period of the excavated articles using scientific methods . It is necessary to verify the excavated evidence with the help of written sources . The evidence of written sources , too , needs to be examined . It has to be verified against inferences which have proved reliable through other sources . Use of such scientific methods is important in writing history ,
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