What does an historian do?

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What does an historian do?
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Definition

• What is history?
• History is
• Herodotus Histories and historie

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(No Transcript)
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Tools Primary sources texts and archaeological
remains

• The written word Alphabets (abecedarium) and
  dialects
• The stuff of philologists texts
• Historical
• Poetic
• Epic
• Lyric odes and hymns
• Epinician victory poems
• Dramatic tragedies and comedies
• Private curses, epitaphs, contracts
• Public laws (codes), treaties, decrees,
  dedications, inventories, voting tickets
• Archaeological remains non-written materials

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Tools Primary sources media

• Papyrus
• Parchment and the manuscript tradition
• Stone
• Metal
• Perishable materials

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Methodology ancient

• Ancients and moderns do not use the same approach
• Cause and effect was not applied systematically
• Great deeds by great men the norm
• Ancient historians focused on values and morals,
  politics and the affairs of the citizen

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Methodology modern

• Dont reinvent the wheel secondary sources, or
  scholarship
• Ask questions
• Interrogate evidence
• Analyze evidence
• Postulate solutions
• Test solutions
• Share with intellectual community and receive
  feedback and critiques
• Use comparative data and studies

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Epigraphy inscriptions

• Definition and locales (ubiquitous!)
• Ancient use curses, epitaphs, contracts, laws,
  treaties, decrees, dedications, inventories,
  manumissions
• Modern purpose read and interpret
• Challenges not all extant capital letters,
  almost no punctuation or word breaks
• Analogy unfinished crossword puzzle
• White spaces missing letters
• Clues knowledge

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The epigraphers skill set

• Linguistics
• Cultural content
• Stylistic formulae
• Dialectal differences
• Alphabetical variations
• Difference between error and new knowledge
• Understanding of the stonemasons craft
• Patience!

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The epigraphers toolbox

• Photographs, photographic equipment
• Raking light
• Magnifying glass
• Rulers, measuring tapes, calipers
• Eyes and fingers
• Recording equipment notebook, computer, PDA
• Squeeze paper, water and brush

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A modern example

• Restore this text!