What are the limitations of the sources of history?

Answer 1

What is known about ancient history is based on sources and it can be expected that these sources are limited if only because of the time an ancient historical event happened and the present day. Nevertheless, here are the source limitations faced by historians in their studies:

A. Ancient historical writings about history may have been written hundreds of years after the historian begins a record. In dealing with the writings of the ancients it must be remembered that they did not have the resources that modern day historians have, such as carbon dating and a vast network of "finds" based on modern archeology. Therefore the accuracy of ancient historians can be called into question;

B. While modern historians can rely on archaeologists with scientific data to assist them, they are limited, because of time, to explain "cultural" facts that may have influenced the ancient writers;

C. Modern historians must base much of their writings upon the records of ancient historians, which may be inaccurate. By the same token, the same problem confronted the ancient historians as they too must rely on earlier writers;

D. Historians, both modern and ancient, understand that the sources of previous writers may be prejudicial. This may be the result, for example of a writer in the time of Julius Caesar. If the historian favors the deeds of a Caesar, the historical records may not be totally accurate;

E. Since we have Caesar here, his own writings on his conquests in Gaul must always be seen as a man writing about his own history. Thus the source can be questioned;

F. Conflicting historical writings can always exist. The historian reviewing these faces another source limitation;

G. Lack of historical records. The ancient Egyptians have left no blueprints on building pyramids. Scholars, archeologists, and engineers and others still speculate how they were built; and

H. Myths. Historians are frequently faced with ancient historians who may have based their writings on "myths". For all practical purposes, as one example, the founding of ancient Rome is dated at 753 BC, this is an educated guess. It may also be termed a myth, thus the historian is faced with another limited source.