The Historian's Toolkit
What name is given to a source that comes directly from the time being studied, such as a letter or a sword?
Primary source
What is archaeology?
The study of the past through material remains (artefacts, buildings, bones etc.)
According to legend, which twins, raised by a she-wolf, founded the city of Rome?
Romulus and Remus
Which saint is most associated with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century?
St Patrick
A historian interviews an elderly man about his memories of growing up in the 1950s. What type of source is this?
Oral source (a recording of it would also be an aural source)
What is the word for digging up the earth to look for historical objects (artefacts)?
Excavation (or a dig)
Which Roman town was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79?
Pompeii (accept Herculaneum)
What was the main purpose of a round tower in an Early Christian monastery?
A bell tower (also used as a lookout and a safe place for monks and valuables during raids)
What is the name of the place that collects and stores mainly written (documentary) sources?
An archive
Which famous Irish treasure was found by chance by two boys digging potatoes in Co. Limerick in 1868?
The Ardagh Chalice
The upper-class nobles of Rome were called patricians. What were the commoners called?
Plebeians
What was the name of the room in a monastery where manuscripts were written, and what was the monk who copied them called?
The scriptorium; the monk was a scribe
What do the letters AD stand for, what language are they in, and what do they mean?
Anno Domini, Latin for "in the year of Our Lord" (the modern equivalent is CE, Common Era)
What is rescue (or salvage) archaeology?
An excavation carried out before new developments such as roads or buildings destroy a site
What is a fresco?
A painting done on damp (wet) plaster, found on the walls of Roman houses
Give two differences between the Celtic (pagan) religion and Christianity.
e.g. Celts worshipped many gods (Christians worship one God); Celtic priests were druids (Christians had priests and bishops); Celts worshipped at natural sites (Christians built churches); Celtic festivals like Samhain (Christian feasts like Christmas and Easter)
What does it mean if a source is biased, and how can a historian check whether it is?
Biased = gives a one-sided view, favouring one side over another. The historian should cross-check it against other sources.
Name two methods archaeologists use to date objects, and explain one of them.
Any two of: Dendrochronology (tree-ring dating: dates timber by its pattern of rings); Radiocarbon / Carbon-14 dating (measures the amount of carbon left in once-living things); Stratigraphy (oldest layers at the bottom, youngest at the top)
Who was Spartacus, and what happened to his followers?
A slave and gladiator who led a great slave revolt (73–71 BC). He was defeated, and around 6,000 of his followers were crucified along the Appian Way.
Name an Irish monk who brought Christianity abroad, and name a place where he founded a monastery.
St Columba (Colmcille): Iona, Scotland; or St Columbanus: Luxeuil (France) / Bobbio (Italy)