Who Studies History?

Do you remember the feeling of panic the last time you could not find your house keys?
Remember frantically searching through every room and dresser drawer or retracing your
previous steps to find the keys? In many ways, historians and those who study history are
looking for lost keys from the past.
If past events truly are the "keys" to understanding the happenings of today, then we should want
to learn all that we can about previous events. However, who do we turn to for information about
those events? How does one gather information about history? Who studies history?
In this lesson, you'll explore the answers to these questions. You'll find that many scholars from
different fields of study supply the information we need to know about our history. These
scholars use special methods and apply important skills in order to acquire the necessary
information. Their work is essential in discovering the keys that help us to "unlock" a true
understanding of the connections between past, present, and future.

Objectives

Explain the historical method that is used to study the past.

Identify the fields of study involved in historical research.

Describe the scientific methods that are used in historical study.

Vocabulary
anthropology
archaeology
artifacts
chronological order
etymology
geology
historical method
linguist
linguistics
scientific method

the study of humans

the study of the lives of early human communities through the
examination of their physical remains
objects made by humans that are unearthed by archaeologists
an arrangement of events in the order in which the events took place
the study of the origins of words
the study of the earth, especially its rock forms
the collecting, classifying, analyzing, and interpreting of data
a person who studies language
the study of human language
the processes and procedures by which we acquire information

What is a Historian?
The men and women who discover, study, interpret, and write history are called historians. One
purpose of the historian is to present the past to people in the present so that they can learn from
the mistakes and successes of previous generations. The historian tries to accurately and fairly
write the known history of the human race. By using the historical method of collecting,
classifying, analyzing, and interpreting data, the historian can draw conclusions about history
and how it affects us.
Kinds of historians. There are many kinds of historians. For the purpose of this lesson, we will
cover five of them: the archaeologist, geologist, anthropologist, linguist, and etymologist.

Archaeology and Geology

An archaeologist studies the lives of early human communities through the examination of their
physical remains. This is the science of archaeology. He gathers information about early
communities using scientific methods. He will find a specific locationcalled an excavation site
and begin searching for the remains of ancient societies. During the process of sifting through
the earth, he will uncover artifacts, which are human-made objects such as pottery, weapons, and
tools. Generally, the deeper an archaeologist has to dig, the older the artifact. It is not uncommon
to find ancient cities built directly on top of yet older communities. As a result, one excavation
site can reveal a wealth of knowledge about the history of a single people group.
What can be learned by unearthing past remains? Upon examination of an ancient tool, an
archaeologist can determine the level of technology that culture possessed and how they used
their knowledge. When a number of such digs are reported around the world, patterns of
development appear. After enough information is gathered, a determination can be made as to
why that society thrived or why it died out. This knowledge can help those living in the present
to make better choices.
These artifacts also tell the story of how long it took a culture to develop more advanced tools or
when they mastered the art of forming metals. Metallurgy is a sign that a society has developed
some particular understanding of the earth around them.
A geologist studies the earth, especially rock forms. Using different methods, she can determine
the approximate age of a rock. This rock will be located in a particular strata, or layer, which sits
upon other layers that form the earth's crust. Geologists can assist archaeologists with the age of
artifacts by determining where they are located in a stratum.
Geology helps to establish a sense of time and, in the process, a plot. In a novel, the plot of the
story gives direction. It is a narrative about the lives of individuals and their contributions to a
story. Think of it like some television programs. If you miss the first few episodes, then the rest
of the season makes no sense at all. It is important to start studying the history of people as far
back as possible in order to better understand the story of human development. The more we
know about the beginning, the more the history makes sense.

In addition, being able to construct a sequence of events in chronological order enables science
to know how long it took for people to develop in particular areas. The fewer chapters missing,
the more an understanding of who we are comes into focus. Sometimes, the geologist can
determine why a society died out by finding layers in rocks that indicate widespread flooding,
drought, or volcanoes.

Anthropology, Etymology, and Linguistics

Another important historian in the study of human history is the anthropologist. He studies
human culture and development or the science of anthropology. An archaeologist uncovers the
artifacts of ancient cultures and an anthropologist attaches meaning to those artifacts. He takes
knowledge of present societies and compares them with ancient ones. Over time, he attempts to
determine how humans arrived at point G from point A. The more he understands different
cultures, the better he can know how the average person lived long ago.
As he makes his studies of various cultures and societies, patterns begin to form.

Example:
How easily can you recognize patterns? Take for example the following string of numbers
with some numbers missing. What pattern do they represent?
1, 3, ___, 15, ___, ___, 127
Did you figure out the pattern? Try again with the blanks filled in.
1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127
Now did you figure out the pattern? Each number is multiplied by 2 and then 1 is added.

An anthropologist cannot look at just one society to determine a pattern. He must look at several
to find meaning to a culture. By studying different eras, he can fit the pieces together.

As people evolved, they began to develop a language. An etymologist studies the origins of
human words. A linguist studies languages. As archaeologists find artifacts, they invariably
unearth some that have written communication on them. It is up to the etymologist and linguist
to determine what the writing means.
Humans did not develop language overnight, and when they did, it was quite crude by our
standards. Some believe that there was once a "mother" language, but this has yet to be
conclusively proved. There are various methods used to determine a word or language's origin.
Often, as an archaeologist uncovers ancient writings, the etymologist and linguist will compare

them to other findings. At any rate, these two disciplines assist other historians in judging the age
of artifacts and other remains from ancient civilizations.
Understanding the complexity of a civilization's writing also helps to determine how long they
were in existence and how advanced they became. Again, this assists other historians in learning
patterns.

Let's Review!
Field of
Study
Archaeology

Description

the study of life in

early human
societies
Anthropology the study of humans
Etymology
Geology
Linguistics

the study of word

origins
the study of the
earth
the study of human
language

Scientific Methods

Relevance to History

looks for artifacts,

examines remains,
performs excavation work
performs fieldwork among
different cultures

provides information
about ancient human
societies
makes historical
comparisons between
cultures
finds out where words
came from
places life in
chronological order
gives meaning to ancient
words

traces the form and

meaning of words
examines rock strata

looks for similarities

between words in different
cultures
Although each of these disciplines, taken alone, fulfills an important role in our understanding of
the past, they all must work together in order for us to unearth the secrets ancient societies
possess. A conscientious historian will collect the opinions of experts from these various fields
along with othersand use them to paint a picture of our past. Each one will collect, classify,
analyze, and interpret the data they find and together reach a conclusion as to its meaning.