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In historical science a group of ancillary fields has evolved which are called . These
fields are part of the requisite know-how needed by historians. Traditionally, the
following fields are subsumed under this category:
three fields which have become ancillary fields in their own right.
Statistical findings and methods have also become an indispensable tool for the study of
history. This shows how the distinction between individual fields has blurred: although
fields like the study of Medieval Latin have never regarded themselves as ancillary fields
they are in fact in many cases ancillary sciences for the study of history. Thus the
ancillary fields of geschichtliche Hilfswissenschaften are scientific fields in their own
right; they have their own distinctive methods and approaches and are areas for
specialised study and research. This is why they have their own sections on this site.
Naturally one could find arguments both in favour and against including some of the
sections in this site; the same applies to placing some of the links in these sections. We
hope that the selected structure will provide some orientation based on what Historische
Hilfswissenschaften always have also been: a set of tools for the study of history.