What are historical materials and what are the categories of historical materials?

Historical sources are things that can be used as a basis for the study or discussion of history. Historical materials are generally divided into primary sources and secondary sources. The former refers to historical materials that are close to or directly produced at the time of historical occurrence and can be used as a more direct historical basis, while the latter refers to the research and interpretation made by later generations using first-hand historical materials, but the boundary between the two is often not clear (for example, historical records can hardly be said to be primary or secondary historical materials).

In general, the term "historical materials" in Chinese mainly refers to first-hand historical materials.

Basic explanation. When we talk about historical materials, we usually refer to those traces left by the history of human society in the process of development and help us understand, interpret and reconstruct the historical process. Human understanding and research of history are inseparable from historical materials.

Cited explanations. Refers to the materials used in the study of history and the compilation of historical books.

Shen Changzhi's Preface to "Willow Creek Bamboo Branches": "What Zhou Zi searched for today is nothing more than historical data. ”

Wu Han. "Today, it is necessary to grasp reliable historical materials and use new perspectives to write the history that the people need. ”

Zhu Guangqian. Chapter 6 of Croce's Philosophical Review: "There are only two kinds of true historical sources: evidence and criticism, that is, life and thought. ”

Feed is the abbreviation of historical materials, which are all kinds of historical materials in the hands of museums, libraries and collectors, including books, paintings, various local chronicles, etc.

Historical sources are things that can be used as a basis for the study or discussion of history. Historical materials are generally divided into primary sources and secondary sources.

The former refers to historical materials that are close to or directly produced at the time of historical occurrence and can be used as a more direct historical basis, while the latter refers to the research and interpretation made by later generations using first-hand historical materials, but the boundary between the two is often not clear (for example, historical records can hardly be said to be primary or secondary historical materials). In general, the term "historical materials" in Chinese mainly refers to first-hand historical materials.

In the 80s of the 20th century, Rong Mengyuan, a famous historian in China, divided historical materials into four categories:

The first category is books and newspapers, including historical records, historical works, document compilations, and group books outside the Department of History.

The second category is documents, including ** documents, group documents and private documents.

The third category is physical objects, including production tools, means of subsistence and relics of historical events.

The fourth category is word-of-mouth, which includes memoirs, investigative records, mass legends, and literary and artistic works.

Historical materials are divided into four categories: books and newspapers, documents, physical objects, and word-of-mouth. The specific classifications are as follows:

1. Books and newspapers, including historical records, historical works, literature compilations and group books outside the Department of History.

2. Documents, including ** documents, group documents and private documents.

3. Physical objects, including production tools, means of living and relics of historical events.

4. Word of mouth, including memoirs, investigation records, mass legends and literary works.

1. Historical documents: The earliest documentary materials are not historical books, but oracle bone inscriptions (the documentary value of oracle bone inscriptions is confused with the meaning of early texts).

2. Physical historical materials: physical historical materials refer to all kinds of relics, ruins, buildings, inscriptions, sculptures and paintings, etc., this kind of historical materials are the witness of history and the reliability of historical knowledge, which can not only reflect the history more truly, but also have an intuitive image. A large part of this was excavated by archaeology.

Both the oracle bone inscription and the Records of the Historian are documentary materials. Historical sources are things that can be used as a basis for the study or discussion of history. The former refers to historical materials that are close to or directly produced at the time of historical occurrence and can be used as a more direct historical basis, while the latter refers to the research and interpretation made by later generations using first-hand historical materials.

1. According to the form of representation of the materials, the historical materials are divided into documentary historical materials, physical historical materials and oral historical materials.

2. According to the different value of the data, it is divided into first-hand historical materials (direct historical materials and original materials) and second-hand historical materials (indirect historical materials).

3. Classification of other historical materials.

1) Intentional and unintentional historical materials;

2) "Official History" (official records) and "Wild History" (folk records).

Historical materials are valuable, and their value cannot be measured by the amount of money, the historical movement of human society will not be repeated, and people can only rely on historical materials to understand history.

Historical materials are the basis for studying and understanding history and culture, and are the basis for historians to "reproduce" history.

For example, after the discovery of the oracle bone inscription at the end of the 19th century, there was a boom in the study of the history of the oracle bone inscription and the Yin Shang dynasty, so as to solve many questions about the history of the pre-Shang and Shang dynasties. It is a pity that no one has thoroughly studied the oracle bone inscription so far, and some historical questions have not yet been solved.