History and the Historian

What is history?

History is about life in the past and tells us about the people who lived in a different time. When we study history we can find out about the lives of ordinary people and famous people. We find out about what their clothes were like and about the kind of homes, food, tools and technology they had. History also tells us about battles, wars and famines that happened in the past.

Historians

People who study history have to look for clues about life long ago. They are called historians. Historians ask questions and try to find evidence about life in the past. They examine the past by searching for clues in the writings and pictures that they find, and in other things like clothing, tools and ornaments that still remain today. All these clues or pieces of evidence have to be interpreted and explained and then recorded. Sometimes there is little evidence left behind and this can make it difficult to understand the past.

It is often easier to find out about famous people than ordinary people because there are more pieces of information left behind about rich people than about poor people.

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