Page 6 - SST Class 06

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History–A Study of the Past

History is about life in the past and tells us about IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY
the people who lived in a different time. When History is important. In centuries past, this
we study history, we can find out about the lives statement would have seemed self-evident.
of ordinary people and famous people. We find People of ancient cultures devoted much time
out about what their clothes were like and about and effort to teach the children their family
the kind of homes, food, tools and technology history. It was thought that the past helps a child
they had. History also tells us about battles, wars understand who he is. Modern society, however,
and famines that happened in the past. has turned its back on the past. We live in a time
People who study history have to look for clues of rapid change, a time of progress. We prefer to
about life long ago. They are called historians. define ourselves in terms of where we are going,
Historians ask questions and try to find evidence not where we come from. Our ancestors hold no
about life in the past. They examine the past by importance for us. They lived in times so differ-
searching for clues in the writings and pictures ent from our own that they are incapable of
that they find and in other things like clothing, shedding light on our experience. Man is so
tools and ornaments that still remain today. All much smarter now than he was even ten years
these clues or pieces of evidence have to be ago that anything from the past is outdated and
interpreted and explained and then recorded. irrelevant to us. Therefore, the past, even the
Sometimes, there is little evidence left behind relatively recent past, is in the minds of most of
and this can make it difficult to understand the us, enshrouded by mists and only very vaguely
past. perceived. Our ignorance of the past is not the
It is often easier to find out about famous people result of a lack of information, but of indifference.
than ordinary people because there are more We do not believe that history matters.
pieces of information left behind about rich But history does matter. It has been said that he
who controls the past controls the future. Our
view of history shapes the way we view the
present and therefore, it dictates what answers
we offer for existing problems.

TIME FRAME IN HISTORY
Historians have divided the past into two period s
— prehistory and history. Prehistory was the
period when writing had not been invented and
hence there were no written records. For under-,
standing prehistory , archaeologists dig deep into
the earth and unearth the remains of the past.

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