Primary Source Analysis

Answer: A primary source is created during the time period being studied (e.g., a Roman inscription, Egyptian tomb painting, or Hammurabi's Code). A secondary source analyzes or interprets primary sources from a later perspective (e.g., a modern textbook about ancient Rome or a historian's analysis of Egyptian religion).

Answer: Hammurabi's Code (c. 1754 BCE) is one of the earliest written legal codes and reveals much about Babylonian society: social classes, family structure, economic practices, and values. It shows how laws were used to maintain order and reflects the principle of "an eye for an eye" justice.

Answer: Challenges include: language barriers and translation difficulties, incomplete or damaged documents, bias of the original creators (usually elites), limited surviving sources, difficulty understanding cultural context, and the risk of imposing modern values on ancient peoples.

Answer: Artifacts like tools, pottery, jewelry, weapons, and buildings provide evidence of daily life, technology, trade, social status, and cultural practices. Unlike written sources, artifacts can reveal information about ordinary people and societies without writing systems.

Answer: Religious texts reveal beliefs about gods, the afterlife, morality, and the cosmos. They also provide insights into social values, political authority (often linked to divine approval), rituals, and how people explained natural phenomena. Examples include Egyptian Book of the Dead, Vedas, and Hebrew Bible.

Answer: Royal inscriptions were often propaganda designed to glorify rulers, legitimize their authority, and be seen by future generations. They typically exaggerate victories, minimize defeats, and present rulers as divinely favored. Historians must consider the purpose and audience of such sources.

Answer: Historians compare multiple sources (written records, archaeological evidence, accounts from different perspectives), look for patterns across sources, consider what sources don't say, and examine physical evidence through scientific methods (carbon dating, DNA analysis). Agreement across independent sources increases reliability.

Answer: Key questions include: Who created it and why? When and where was it created? What type of document is it (legal, religious, personal)? What audience was it intended for? What perspective does it represent? What does it reveal about its time? What might it omit or distort?

Answer: Coins show portraits of rulers, religious symbols, and propaganda messages. Their distribution reveals trade networks, their metal content indicates economic conditions, and their inscriptions provide names and titles. Changes in coinage can indicate political transitions or economic crises.

Answer: Different source types reveal different aspects of society. Written sources often reflect elite perspectives, while artifacts can reveal ordinary life. Religious texts show beliefs, legal codes show social structure, and art shows cultural values. Using multiple source types creates a more complete historical picture and helps identify biases in individual sources.