Archaeology & Anthropology: Is everything about History really true?

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Is everything about History really true?

Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: General History
Forum Name: Archaeology & Anthropology
Forum Discription: Topics on archaeology and anthropology
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26880
Printed Date: 27-Apr-2024 at 22:20
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.56a - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Is everything about History really true?

Posted By: Guests
Subject: Is everything about History really true?
Date Posted: 28-Mar-2009 at 20:49

We have been looking at history for years, but we get most of our knowledge of ancient and prehistoric through simple archaeology, but we sometimes miss the vital clue. Without that vital clue, we can only guess what happened. But, we don't know if all that we assume IS true. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, but without the box to show us what it's meant to look like. Prehistoric people existed in a time when writting never existed at all. I believe that, without the evidence, or the jigsaw puzzle box, we might get too many things wrong. there is so much out there that could prove the ideas that historians believe wrong. Take, for example, trephination. Prehistoric people drilled holes into people's heads to supposedly release veil spirits, but the only evidence that we have are the trephined skulls. Where is the other evidence, and how did the histoians come up with that deduction? For all we know, they might have been brilliant scientists who discovered penicillin before Alexander Fleming.

Replies:

Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 29-Mar-2009 at 14:20

The epistomological problems amongst historians has a long and troubled past. I would say anything we discover from the past is only an approximation and it is very difficult to know things with any great certainty. Contemporary history is another matter since the sheer volume of sources left behind is so impressive. It really depends on the sources which have survived from any particular era.

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