History Revision

History Revision Part 1: Sources and evidence

For the exam … • You will be given the background to a historical event the week before, and will then be shown some sources of evidence and asked questions about what you see. • Today we are going to practice looking at sources of 2 situations, and going to think about what you can discover from examining them.

Key ideas • Those of you who were here in Week 1 may remember I said that historians (later archaeologists) were like detectives, they need evidence to work out what happened. • Sources are pieces of information that give us evidence historians need. • Can you think of sources that might prove useful? • A particular group of sources come under the heading of artefacts - what are they? Examples? • Can you think of any sources, in particular that we talked about last week, that were NOT artefacts? • We divide sources into primary and secondary ones. What are primary sources? E.g.? Secondary sources? E.g.?

Key ideas • There are other ideas we need to consider. • This is in particular reference to things that have been written down, but can refer to pictures and statues and models and in later times, to recordings of peoples voices, films, photographs and so on. • At that is, is the information I am being given a fact or an opinion. What is a fact? E.g.? An opinion? E.g.? • The last thing, is that if it is an opinion, we need to be realize it could be biased. What does that mean? E.g.? But remember realizing something is biased does not necessarily make it useless, as it can tell us about the person whose information it is and that can be useful.

This body was found in a peat bog on Tollund Fen in Denmark in May 1950. Two men were digging peat for burning. As they worked they suddenly saw in the peat layer a face so fresh they thought they had come across a recent murder. They called the police. The men carefully removed the peat from the body till more of him could be seen. The man lay on his right side as if he was asleep. He wore no clothes, except for a pointed skin cap and a smooth hide belt. His hair was cut short. Round the neck was a rope noose and an iron neck ring. It was drawn tight around his neck and throat. The mystery of the Tollund Man

These items were not found on the Tollund man but are similar to those around his neck. The items are a rope noose and a neck ring. Iron Age people buried neck rings with their dead as an offering to the Spring Goddess. SCIENTIFIC REPORT Age : The heart and organs were healthy. The wisdom teeth had grown. These appear in people around 20 years of age. Stomach: The man had eaten soup at least 12 hrs before he died. The soup was made up of seeds that were connected only with the Spring Date of burial: When they dug the grave some plants were trapped under the body. They were about 2000 years old. The first is the mystery of the Tollund Man Source C

It says’ An earth goddess of Spring found in the bog’. The German tribes hang traitors from trees and drown cowards in fens under piles of sticks. Source D1 The German tribes worship the Goddess of Spring. Every Spring a cart carries a statue of the Goddess in a procession. Afterwards the cart and statue are washed by slaves, and then the slaves are sacrificed. Source D2 The mystery of the Tollund Man Both D’s were written by around 97-98 A.D. by Tacitus, a Roman, in his book about Germanic tribes.

Using these sources … • Quick Questions • 1. Who found the body? • 2. Where was the body found? • 3. What did they find on the body? • More Detailed Questions • 4. What evidence in the SCIENTIFIC REPORT (source C) suggests that the man did not die of old age or disease? • 5. Examine Source B. What do you think killed the Tollund Man? • 6. How long ago do you think the body was buried and what is your evidence?

Using these sources … • Going Further… • 7. German tribes once lived in Denmark. The dead body was a German. Source D1 tells you why he might have been killed. Complete the following sentence: • Source D1 suggests that the man might have been killed because… • 8. Now look at Sources E and D2. Do they suggest a different reason why the Tollund Man was killed. What is this reason? Complete the following sentence: • Sources D2 and E suggest that the man was killed because… • 9. Now look back at the SCIENTIFIC REPORT (source C). Is there any evidence in it that agrees with the idea that Tollund Man was part of a sacrifice? • 10. Looking back at each source, which are primary and which are secondary? Which are fact and which are opinion? Are any of the opinions biased or not?

We have looked at sources … • …. to find out what the evidence can tell you. • This is one method in which sources can be used. • But another sort of evidence can be what people say about a particular situation, where they see things from a individual viewpoint that can colour they way they think. This can lead to bias. But do remember, bias can be useful as it tells you not just the facts but about the way people think, and what they believe. – that is provided you are aware of the bias and do not fall into the trap of thinking that what they say is absolutely true.

A Native American Memorial at Little Big Horn? • The battle of Little Big Horn happened in 1876. The Sioux joined other tribes to fight the US government soldiers under the control of General George Custer. The “Indians” won the day. • For many years a monument has stood to remember the deaths of so many soldiers. Recently the Native American community have discussed building a memorial to the Native Americans who also died that day. Unfortunately many Americans are against the idea and will not help to fund the initiative. • Qu 1 Why are there divisions between Native Americans and Americans even today?

This is what people have said about it – who could have made these statements? Native Americans, European Americans or they both could have said it?

Native Americans, European Americans or both? • 1. “We should remember that it was the soldiers who lost that battle, not the Indians” • 2. “Dead men lay on both sides, we should remember their spirit” • 3. “The battle field is on the Sioux Reservations” • 4. “Its to do with race-still there are problems in that area” • 5 “White Americans have no respect for our dead” • 6. “Such a memorial would only encourage more Indians to come into South Dakota” • 7. “We won, yet they get a memorial. Why?” • 8. “Why do they want to create a memorial now. They did not have one before?” • 9. “Custer was a great leader and he has a stone to remember him, Crazy horse was a brave leader and is not allowed to be remembered” • 10. “The tourists are frightened of the Indians”

The end result • It became a National Park in 1946 and was called Custer Battlefield National Monument in 1946, • Later, in 1991, it was renamed Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It took awhile but here is their memorial

History Revision