What does an historian do?DefinitionSlide 3Tools: Primary sources – texts and archaeological remainsTools: Primary sources – mediaMethodology: ancientMethodology: modernEpigraphy: inscriptionsThe epigrapher’s skill setThe epigrapher’s toolboxA modern exampleWhat does an historian do?DefinitionWhat is history?History is …Herodotus’ Histories and historieTools: Primary sources – texts and archaeological remainsThe written word: Alphabets (abecedarium) and dialectsThe “stuff” of philologists: textsHistoricalPoeticEpicLyric – odes and hymnsEpinician – victory poemsDramatic – tragedies and comediesPrivate: curses, epitaphs, contractsPublic: laws (codes), treaties, decrees, dedications, inventories, voting ticketsArchaeological remains: non-written materialsTools: Primary sources – mediaPapyrusParchment and the manuscript traditionStoneMetalPerishable materialsMethodology: ancientAncients and moderns do not use the same approachCause and effect was not applied systematically“Great deeds by great men” the normAncient historians focused on values and morals, politics and the affairs of the citizenMethodology: modernDon’t reinvent the wheel: secondary sources, or scholarshipAsk questionsInterrogate evidenceAnalyze evidencePostulate solutionsTest solutionsShare with intellectual community and receive feedback and critiquesUse comparative data and studiesEpigraphy: inscriptionsDefinition and locales (ubiquitous!)Ancient use: curses, epitaphs, contracts, laws, treaties, decrees, dedications, inventories, manumissionsModern purpose: read and interpretChallenges: not all extant; capital letters, almost no punctuation or word breaksAnalogy: unfinished crossword puzzleWhite spaces = missing lettersClues = knowledgeThe epigrapher’s skill setLinguisticsCultural contentStylistic formulaeDialectal differencesAlphabetical variationsDifference between error and new knowledgeUnderstanding of the stonemason’s craftPatience!The epigrapher’s toolboxPhotographs, photographic equipmentRaking lightMagnifying glassRulers, measuring tapes, calipersEyes and fingersRecording equipment: notebook, computer, PDASqueeze paper, water and brushA modern exampleRestore this