Year 7

History:
The
Ancient
World -
Historical
Concepts
& Skills
Depth study
1:
Investigating
the Ancient
World
Depth study 1:
Investigating the
Ancient World

• When archaeologists
and historians find
objects from the past,
they often need help
from scientists who use
the latest techniques
and machinery to
gather more
information
• Scientific techniques
and other historical
techniques and
evidence are used to
provide a complete
explanation of the past
Depth study 2: Investigating Ancient Rome
 • The civilisation of
ancient Rome lasted
about 1300 years.
• At its heart was the city
of Rome, a city first
founded by the ancient
Etruscans 2800 years
ago.
• In 509 BCE, the
inhabitants of Rome set
up a republic.
• Fuelled by trade,
alliances and he
victories of its army, the
republic of Rome grew
in size and strength.
• By 201 BCE, it included
Depth study 2: today’s mainland Italy
and the islands of Sicily,
Investigating Ancient Sardinia and Corsica.

Rome
 • Within another 300
years, the Roman army
had conquered lands
as far north as today’s
England and as far east
as Azerbaijan.
• By this stage, Rome
was an empire.
• Many of Rome’s
traditions, beliefs,
cultural practices and
technical skills have
heavily influenced
western civilisation.
Depth study 2:
Investigating Ancient
Rome
(1) Evidence:
How we learn
about the past
• Information provided
by a source that
supports a given
interpretation, or
provides support for
possible answers to
inquiry questions
• Comes from many
sources
 Types of Evidence
Primary Sources: Objects created or Secondary Sources: Accounts of the past
written at the time being investigated created after the time being investigated
 • Chains of events and
developments over
time (both long term
and short term), and
the impact these have
on people and places

(2) Cause & Effect

(3)
Continuity
& Change
• Over time some
things stay the
same while others
change
• This can be seen
across every
civilisation and any
given time period
• Many historical
continuities
influence how we
act and liv today
(4) Perspectives
• A point of view about
an event or issue
• A person’s perspective
is often influenced by
their knowledge,
culture or beliefs
• Historians try and
understand the
different values and
beliefs that shaped
and affected the lives
of people who lived in
the past
(5) Empathy
• The ability to
understand from the
point of view of a
particular group or
individual, by taking
their special
circumstances and
values into
consideration
 • The importance given to a particular historical
event, person, place, discovery, movement
(6) Significance • Historians can examine significance during the
time of study and the legacy up to the present
day
(7) Contestability:
different
interpretations

• The state of an
interpretation being
open to debate,
because of a lack of
evidence or
understanding from a
different perspective
 Skills for analysing historical sources
• Historians use primary
and secondary sources as
evidence to help them
form opinions about what
happened in the past.
• There are some important
skills you will need to use
when using sources this Vincenzo Camuccini (1771–1844), The
Term in class and when Assassination of Julius Caesar (1804-05),
completing assessments oil on canvas, 112 × 195 cm, Galleria
Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome
(1) The Origin of
sources

• Who wrote, produced or made the

source?
• what type of source is it?
• when was the source written,
produced or made?
•The city of Pompeii was preserved
more or less as it was by a volcano in
79CE.
•Excavation started in 1860 and has
provided evidence of Roman culture
including a forum with temples and
markets and an amphitheatre for
gladiatorial shows
 (2) The Purpose of sources
Why was the source written or
created?

was it designed to entertain, persuade

or argue a point of view?

does the creator have anything to gain

personally from the source?

what other events may have been

happening at the time and might have
"The Triumph of Neptune" Roman mosaic from La influenced the author or source?
Chebba, Tunisia, late 2nd Century CE. Women
representing the four seasons occupy each corner,
along with agricultural scenes and flora. Bardo
National Museum, Tunis, Tunisia.
(3) The Usefulness of
Sources (in helping us
• How useful is the
understand the past) source in providing
information about the
topic being studied?
• All sources (primary
and secondary) have
strengths and
weaknesses as
representations of the
past.
• How useful is this
Roman mosaic from
3rd century CE if you
are learning about
ancient Rome?
Year 7 Term 4 History Excursion (All
day): ‘THE PAST IS STILL PRESENT’   
Term 4 Week 8 Thursday 1 December 

•Grab some friends and have a great day

discovering Perth’s (ancient) History! 

•Morning activity: Visit Point Walter (Melville)

and learn about Perth’s Ancient history 

•Afternoon activity: Visit WA Museum Boola

Bardip (Northbridge) and learn about how
Western Australia’s past has been conserved
for us to learn

•Available to the first 60 Year 7s who pay their

money (approx. $25) 

•Keep an eye out for further details!