History allows us to generate knowledge about ancient peoples.
History is the social science that studies humanity's past . The word is also used to define the historical period that begins with the appearance of writing and even to refer to the past itself .
Some examples where the term appears: "A history expert assured that the first stable inhabitants of the island were smugglers" , "My relationship with Johanna is now history" , "The Spanish player scored a goal that will go down in the history of the competition" .
Study of history
The study of history requires the analysis of events that took place in the past. It is therefore essential to turn to historical sources to find out what information about the events was recorded and compiled at the relevant time.
Often there are archives and official documents that serve as testimonies . In other cases, we must turn to chronicles, biographies or autobiographies to discover the view of certain people on what happened. Oral history, which is transmitted from generation to generation, can also be a valuable source.
Different approaches
The ways in which history studies the transcendental events of the life of humanity can be synchronic (from the same era), relating events from the same era with evolutions or consequences in the human species; or diachronic (from different eras), analyzing previous events that may be causes or subsequent events that may be a consequence of an event or something concerning the species itself. Scientists who specialize in history are called historians .
Two approaches can also be mentioned in the field of study of history: the classical one (which takes history as the period that emerged from the development of writing) and the multicultural one (which considers that history covers the stages in which it is possible to achieve a reliable reconstruction of the events that affect social development).
Since things are not presented in a deterministic way in the social sciences , due to a lack of verification that is only possible in the exact sciences, historical phenomena can be analyzed from multiple perspectives and even show facts that contradict each other. And, just as history cannot analyze the past in a deterministic way, it cannot predict the future of humanity from empirical data. With all this we can say that in order to carry out a historical analysis, the freedom of each individual within the social group being studied must be taken into account.
Wars, revolutions and processes of colonization and independence are some of the events that history studies.
Stages of history
According to classical history, events that took place before the historical period belong to prehistory , while those events located in the transition period between prehistory and history are part of protohistory .
Archaeological sites and historical sites are spaces that, through ancient ruins , remains and artifacts, can make it possible to understand a culture or civilization . Historians must examine this historical heritage and contextualize it.
Depending on the periods and common characteristics, historians carry out a periodization , dividing history into periods. In this way, a distinction can be made between the Ancient Age (which extends from the emergence of writing until the year 476, when the Western Roman Empire fell); the Middle Ages (from 476 to 1453, 1455 or 1492, depending on whether the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the invention of the printing press or the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America is considered, respectively); the Modern Age (from 1453, 1455 or 1492 until the American declaration of independence in 1776 or the French Revolution in 1789); and the Contemporary Age (from 1776 or 1789 to the present).
Other related concepts
It is important to clarify that, although certain concepts are involved in the story, they are absolutely different from it and should not be confused with each other.
Among them we can name historiography (which covers the procedures and techniques that allow a description of an event that has already occurred), historiology (aimed at explaining how historical events occurred) and history itself (that is, the events that really took place). In these three concepts (history, historiography and historiology ) we find past events, the science that is dedicated to analyzing them and the corresponding epistemology.
The conservation and restoration of ancient objects and documents is important to care for and revalue the heritage of historical archives and history museums.
Types of historical phenomena
The phenomena analyzed by history can be economic, political, social, artistic, cultural or religious and are differentiated by being short, medium or long term .
Short-term phenomena are specific events, also called occurrences , that occur in a few hours or days: an example is the fall of the Twin Towers ( 9/11 ). Events that are temporary and develop over a period of a few years (such as the First International ) are considered to be medium-term phenomena. Finally, long-term phenomena are structural phenomena and their development can last for centuries , such as the case of the conflict between Palestine and Israel .
Its connection with other sciences
History is considered a science because it attempts to be as objective as possible and to provide demonstrative knowledge of the facts, seeking evidence to support its conclusions. Such evidence is collected through different methods, which can be highly specialized (cutting-edge technology developed to extract information from a certain source) or mathematical procedures (statistics and data extracted from society that allow a phenomenon to be analyzed in the most empirical way possible).
Sociology believes that the analysis of historical phenomena must take into account certain factors in order to develop, such as social and economic factors, which influence not only society but also each individual in particular. In addition to geographical, demographic, social and political factors .
The Philosophy of History is a branch of philosophy that reflects on the significance of the events that are part of the history of humanity . This discipline analyzes the possible existence of a design, purpose or goal in the historical process.
History , in turn, is related to other sciences to carry out its conclusions. It needs geography to analyze the consequences that certain geographic phenomena can have on the decisions of a society; archaeology to analyze the past and understand the present from it; and mathematics and statistics to compare data that they have gathered in their research, for example.
Branches of history
It is interesting to note that history, as a science, is made up of multiple branches. These divisions are linked to the different themes or the object of study.
Political history and economic history are two of the most popular branches. But other branches include the history of science, the history of art , the history of religion , the history of philosophy , and the history of sport , among many others.
Likewise, a historian can specialize in particular topics or phenomena: history of migrations , history of slavery , etc. Another perspective is oriented towards the geographical question, which can differentiate between the study of local history , regional history , national history or global history , to mention a few possibilities.