Question

Write a short note on Written sources.

Answer 1

Hint: There are various kinds of primary sources such as written sources, oral sources, visual sources etc. They are used to collect various kinds of data and information about the social, economic, cultural and political structure of the particular place.

Complete answer:
- Written sources of history are documents that have recorded events in the written word over a period of time.
- Written sources aid in the cross-checking of data and information gathered from oral and other historical knowledge sources. This aids in the development of reliable conclusions.
- Blogs, periodicals, letters, maps, telegrams, censuses and other records with statistics, yearbooks, dissertations, statutes, and government documents are examples of written sources.
- Oral sources, archaeological sources (which convey knowledge through the remnants of other civilizations: constructions, vessels, etc. ), and mythological sources (which convey information about people's views rather than their history) are examples of narrative types that account for past events.
- Primary sources are those written by people who were present at the case they describe. The material in secondary written sources comes from the study and comparison of primary sources. The writers of secondary sources did not take part in the events they describe; instead, they merely reported, organised, and critiqued what others had said. Edward Gibbons' "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" is an example of a secondary written source.

Note:
- Soon after the year 4000 B. C., Mesopotamia and Egypt began to develop writing systems. It took longer for other cultures to adopt these structures.
- You can scan for published primary sources in the online catalogue or a digital compilation of historical documents like the Gerritsen Collection of Women's History, Chronicling America, or Empire Online.