2nd Lecture note

Historical Sources
In historical study, present of research writing is most important.
Historians need to get interpret the past, they must first establish the facts
about event they are studding. Historian look for the evidences by
researching many documents and records. Called historical sources.
Not only historians but also researchers needs to more evidence or facts
for develop his/her idea.
Especially in history there are two kinds of sources.
1. Literature
2. Archeological
1. Literature Sources
Literature sources are dividing in to two groups.
1. Primary literature sources
2. Secondary literature sources.
Primary sources are account written by people involved in the events, and
include governments and legal papers, maps, business agreements, letters,
records.
The chronicles are very important primary sources for study history.
Example for Sri Lankan Chronicles, Deepawamsa (1st chronicle in Sri
Lankan history) and Mahawamsa
In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also
called original source or evidence) is an artifact, a document, a recording,
or other source of information that was created at the time under study.
Secondary literature sources.
Primary sources are distinguished from secondary sources. In addition, it
is writing recodes, articles, texts or books and research build upon primary
sources.
A secondary source may also be a primary source and may depend on
how it is used. "Primary" and "secondary" are relative terms, with sources
judged primary or secondary according to specific historical contexts and
what is being studied.
2. Archeological Sources
Example for archeological evidence, ruins city, inscription (it is writing
method on rock, cave sites or stone slabs) coins, monumental remains,
paintings.
Archaeology
Archaeology is the study of the past by finding the remains left by people
who lived in the past. The study of archaeology not only helps us
understand diversity in the world around us, it helps us to understand how
people relate to the material world and their evolution.
Sometime archaeologists find the bones of dead people and the things they
used, or the houses they lived in. Archaeologists think it is important to
understand the past, because so many people use the past to know where
they come from.