'A World Archaeology

History With RCS: Ice Age Islands: Early humans and long-term climate change.   

 A world archaeology leads to our much greater understanding.                                            rcs                

History and Historians: First Thoughts

             My first thought was that history not presented by a historian is a story.  Then think that any true story is a history! Then again, some historians are falsifiers and each has her bias. I felt the need to begin somewhere! 

            My next thought is, that which happened this morning is history. That is, it is history when someone tells me about what he has witnessed or, when I witness it and then tell you about it. it seems that history is told about that which has happened or been done. The quality of the witness and teller must be important.

            History is beginning to seem important. It can be about all that has been done, made, or happened, and all that we have noted about our experience! By attending to such telling, one may nor only learn about our about what happened, but also about how it happened or was done, and also why and a lot what can be very interesting information. Even when history is seen, as just a good story, it can be a joyful learning experience.

            Ah, let me add that dates can be important to history, but not necessary to to it. Chronological order can be very useful in historical accounts.

            History is about human experience. I Believe that my experience can be my great teacher. I can also learn a lot through accounts of the experience of others. Good history is a useful interpretation of the experiences of others. Historians record and publish the doings and happening of societies and cultures and individuals. We are free to learn from their work. We may come to more useful understanding of many affairs.

            Historians interpret and record in accord with their own world-views and perspectives. Most publish as they see it. Some record it as they would have us see it.. Many naturally embrace truth and realty with their own views and perspectives. Some learn to. Most are honest most of the time, some are not. One relies on one's own analysis and judgement in interpreting their work. All historians whom I know of are human and each human has her own history and writes from that perspective.We can benefit from honing our own judgement.

            I believe that you can be a historian. When you value evidence, know a true story, and have a realistic imagination you may become a very good one. However, many will call you a story teller, rather than a historian, unless you use good documentation.

            Historians often examine happenings, doings, changes, and may discover processes.

            History is not a science. It has an immense number of variables and practically no laboratories. For many it has become an exacting art and craft. It has become humanities great memory of important experience. It is an important part of that which supports our culture.

            Historians do have the advantage of hindsight. The may ask an try to answer such questions as: How did we get here? and How did that happen? At times they may sus pend judgement and try to place themselves in the context of a given moment. They have considered that man may be the measure of man.

            I most enjoy history when it is told as a story. I also like historical writing which is the result of an effort to honestly and factually presents the workings of a process.

            As you continue to explore you will find that there are a great many kinds of history, presented in a variety of ways. More and more of it is written or produced in  a non academic way for the general public. History is of many kinds and sorts. There is history of motorcycles and motherhood, science and economics, comedy and pop music.

            As I think about it, there seems to be lot to this history business. There is a lot to learn about the doing of it; a lot to learn about historical research; a lot to learn about its presentation; a lot to learn about the kind of history one really enjoys; a lot.

            More to come, more history, more prehistory, more archaeology and even what one might call geological history. 

            For those who like dates, I have begun a set of history timeline blogs.

                                                        RCS