Historical Sources
What is a primary source?
A source created at the time of an event by someone who experienced or witnessed it.
What is archaeology?
The study of the human past through objects, remains and places left behind.
What is a secondary source?
A source created later that uses information from the past to explain or interpret history.
How many years are in a decade?
10 years
What does BCE stand for?
Before Common Era
Name two examples of primary sources.
Diaries, photographs, letters, artefacts, newspapers from the time, buildings or eyewitness accounts.
What is Mungo Man?
The remains of an ancient Aboriginal man discovered at Lake Mungo.
What is the difference between an objective and subjective source?
An objective source aims to give facts without personal opinions. A subjective source includes opinions, feelings or personal views.
How many years are in a century?
100 years
What does CE stand for?
Common Era
What is a secondary source?
A source created after the event that uses information about the past to explain or interpret it.
Where was Mungo Man discovered?
Lake Mungo in New South Wales.
Why might a historian need to be careful when using a subjective source?
Because it contains personal opinions, feelings or biases and may not give the complete or accurate story.
How many years are in a millennium?
1,000 years
Which happened first: 800 BCE or 105 CE?
800 BCE
What is an objective source?
A source that presents information based on facts and attempts to avoid personal opinions or feelings.
What can archaeologists learn from the remains of Mungo Man?
They can learn about ancient Aboriginal people, their lives, culture and burial practices.
Give three things an archaeologist could learn from an archaeological source.
Possible answers include what people ate, how they lived, what tools they used, how they were buried, their culture or how old a site is.
What is the difference between BCE and CE?
BCE refers to years before the Common Era. CE refers to years during the Common Era.
Put these in chronological order: 1974 CE, 800 BCE, 105 CE, 2570 BCE.
2570 BCE → 800 BCE → 105 CE → 1974 CE
What is a subjective source, and why might it be less reliable?
A subjective source contains personal opinions, feelings or biases. It may be less reliable because the person's view may not represent the whole story.
Explain two things Mungo Man tells historians about Australian history.
He provides evidence that Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for a very long time and provides evidence about ancient Aboriginal burial practices and culture.
You are given an archaeological source. Explain how you would use evidence from it to learn about the past.
Examine what can be seen in the source, identify evidence and use that evidence to make conclusions about how people lived in the past.
Why are chronological timelines useful to historians?
They help historians put events in the correct order and understand when events happened and how they relate to each other.
How many years are between 800 BCE and 1974 CE?
2,774 years