Historians do not derive their knowledge of the past out of nowhere.There are many branches of historical science, helps to promote the study of specific periods in the history of mankind.What is this industry, and how they help historians understand the past?
classification historical disciplines
For most of them use the term "auxiliary historical discipline."Conventionally, they are divided into two groups.The first study involved include different types of sources with a single hand.These are auxiliary historical disciplines such as Archeology, genealogy, archival science, paleography, historical metrology, epigraphy, papyrology, chronology, textual.So, for example, is studying the chronology chronology systems, which use different types of written sources.Historical studies metrology unit of weight, length, and other values that existed in different countries.Without it, we would be unlikely to be able to imagine what the pud, pound or talent, as reported in many written sources we know.Specialists interested in epigraphy short inscriptions on the content - on stones, handicrafts, the walls of buildings, etc.
The second group includes the discipline devoted to the study of specific sources, but at the same time to consider them from different angles.For example, numismatics, sphragistics, heraldry, faleristics.Each of them has a narrow subject of study.Numismatics studies banknotes (paper and metal), sphragistics - print, heraldry - arms, faleristics - types of awards.
There is another term - special historical disciplines.This industry, which are considered to be the independent parts of history.The most famous of them - Archaeology.It is a science with its terms and periodization and a wide range of material sources.They also include historiography that studies the development of history as a science.There is also a special include such historical disciplines as ethnography, source, historical geography.In general, the term is in the science could not resist - and use it to replace the word "support" for self-discipline.Different historians determine the independence of this or that discipline.
role of auxiliary and special disciplines in research
What role played by special and auxiliary historical disciplines in the process of learning history?In fact, the building blocks that make up the historical knowledge.Any professional historian has to acquire the expertise to successfully explore a specific period.Thus, a specialist in medieval history will have to acquire and narrow paleography studying the written manuscript monuments and the wider source studies.Auxiliary historical sciences give us knowledge, thanks to which we will gradually present the overall picture of a given period.For example, the presence of inscriptions on craft items era of Kievan Rus indicates that literacy was widespread not only among the aristocracy, but also among ordinary people.Finds of ancient vessels with the stamps in graves of nomads in the steppes of the Black Sea can determine the direction of trade, which was conducted by the nomadic peoples.Genealogy gives us knowledge about the kinship among the aristocracy, contacts dynastic rulers.A huge role in historical research plays a chronology, chronology of studies in different countries.Without it, we would not have been able to determine the sequence and timing of events in historical documents.
In general, the division of historical disciplines in the auxiliary and special very conditional.After all, each of them is an integral part of historical science, helping scientists learn more about the past.
