Auxiliary sciences of history facts for kids

The auxiliary sciences of history are special fields of study that help us understand the past better. Think of them as detective tools that historians use! These sciences look closely at historical sources and old items to uncover clues about what happened long ago.

Many of these helpful fields started to develop between the 16th and 19th centuries. At first, they were explored by people called antiquarians, who were interested in old artifacts and traditions. Back then, "History" was often seen more as a way of telling stories, like literature.

But by the late 18th century, the study of history became more scientific and based on facts, a bit like science. This change was led by groups like the Göttingen School of History. Later, in the mid-19th century, a famous historian named Leopold von Ranke also pushed for history to be studied more carefully, using evidence. These changes helped create the idea of a trained historian as a skilled expert.

What Are Auxiliary Sciences of History?

These special sciences help historians by focusing on different types of evidence. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

Studying Old Things and Places

• Archeology: This is the study of human activity through digging up and analyzing old objects and places, like ancient cities or tools.
• Chorography: This field focuses on describing and mapping specific regions or places, helping us understand how geography influenced history.
• Toponymy: This is the study of place-names. By looking at how places got their names, we can learn about their history, languages, and cultures.

Understanding Documents and Writing

• Archaeography: This is the study of ancient documents, helping us understand how they were made and what they mean.
• Archival science: This field is about how to organize, keep, and find information in archives, which are collections of historical records.
• Codicology: This is the study of old books, especially handwritten ones (called manuscripts), looking at how they were made, their materials, and their structure.
• Diplomatics: This science helps us understand historical documents, especially official ones, to figure out if they are real and what their purpose was.
• Epigraphy: This is the study of ancient inscriptions, which are writings carved into stone, metal, or other hard surfaces.
• Paleography: This field focuses on studying old handwriting. It helps historians read and understand documents written centuries ago.
• Philology: This is the study of the language used in historical sources. It helps historians understand the exact meaning of old texts.

Tracking Time and People

• Chronology: This is the study of the order of past events. It helps historians put events in the correct timeline.
• Genealogy: This is the study of family relationships and tracing family trees. It helps us understand how families are connected through history.
• Prosopography: This involves investigating a group of historical individuals to learn about their shared characteristics, relationships, and careers.

Looking at Symbols and Objects

• Heraldry: This is the study of armorial devices, like coats of arms, which were used by families, nobles, and organizations to identify themselves.
• Numismatics: This is the study of coins, medals, and paper money. Coins can tell us a lot about the economy, rulers, and art of the past.
• Onomastics: This is the study of proper names, including names of people, places, and things. It can reveal cultural and historical information.
• Phaleristics: This is the study of military orders, fraternities, and award items like medals and badges.
• Philately: This is the study of postage stamps and postal history. Stamps can show us art, leaders, and events from different times.
• Sigillography: This is the study of seals, which were used to authenticate documents or mark ownership.
• Vexillology: This is the study of flags. Flags often carry symbols and colors that represent a country's or group's history and values.

Using Modern Tools

• Cliometrics: This field uses economic theory and other mathematical methods to study history. It helps historians analyze large amounts of data to find patterns.

Related pages

Historical method

See also

In Spanish: Disciplinas afines usadas en Historia para niños