Introduction
Knowing about the past is significant in understanding the current trends and predicting about the future. In history, the past represents a stage in the current political, social, religious, and metaphysical developments. This treatise explains how we know about the past.
How we know about the past
The past is known from the recordings and narrations about events that occurred in the yesteryears. Cultures which adopted writing and other visible ways of recording events are a significant source of evidence about the past activities.
The recordings were in the form of weather changes, cultural events, natural calamities, and religious activities. For instance, in China, the Daoism religious movement has been passed down to generations through the early century writings which have been preserved over the years.
Another way of knowing about the past is through archeological expeditions. Through digging, unearthing, and discovering past artifacts, historians can classify these relics into centuries they were used, depending on the depth or age of the objects. Reflectively, there is a technology that can correctly age the objects in terms of the level of civilization at that time.
The artifacts contain a rich history of the past which can be studied to identify the cultures, religions, political affiliation, and social fabric of the people on the past centauries. For instance, the remains of leather shoes, primitive hunting spears, and harpoons used in the medieval age are significant in identifying how the past civilization has experienced metamorphosis over years. These objects are a clear indication of how life used to be in the past.
Historical events of the past are a reflection of what happens at present. Although the methods of understanding the past events are sometimes primitive, the facts about these events remain solid. This paper will review the ways of knowing the past from a historical perspective.
Knowing the past
The present is a myriad of events in the past. Knowing about the past from a historical perspective is achievable through exploration by historians. The objects found in such exploration may correctly predict the occurrences of the past in the form of weather, political affiliations, and agriculture.
For instance, through studying the historical writings in China, during the early centuries, it is possible to understand the origin of Buddhism and the culture of wearing large round hats. The recordings in the sixths century and the drawings in some of the caves in China are a rich source of past history.
The past can also be understood through the lens of songs and cultural events of the ancient times. In most cultures, the songs and social events captured what was happening at that time. These events are rich in terms of cultural affiliations, economic activities, and social orientation.
For instance, the history of the native Indians can be understood through their dressing style which has been passed down to generations. Besides, this group has managed to preserve some of their early crops, ways of doing agriculture, and medicine which can be traced back to the seventh century. As a historian, the study of these preserved artifacts is important in knowing about the past.