UNIT 4 SOCIAL SCIENCE: HISTORICAL TIME

WHAT IS HISTORY?

History studies the past of people. In order to date the events that ocurred in the past, historians use units of time. In history, we use mainly years and centuries as units of time.

HOW WE ORGANIZE TIME

Each civilization counts time form an importan event. Our civilization uses the birth of Jesus Christ as a point of reference, which corresponds to year 1.

• The years before year 1 are called years B.C. (Before Christ). We count them backwards.
• The years after year 1 are called years A.D (Anno Domini). We count them consecutively.
• Remember that there is no year 0 or century 0. We pass directly from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D.

CHANGE AND CONTINUITY IN HISTORY

In history, some aspects change quickly, while others last for a long time.

• Changes are related to political events and historical figures, and take place at a specific moment. For example, the surrender of Granada, which took place in 1492 and meant the end of Al-Andalus.
• Continuity is related to ways of life and art, because these last for long periods of time. For example, Gothic artprevailed between the 12th and 16th centuries.

HISTORICAL SOURCES

A historical source is any object, document or piece of information that provides us with evidence from  the past. There are several types of historical sources:

• Texts.
• Oral traditions and histories.
• Pictures.
  
  
• Monuments and objects.

HISTORICAL PERIODS

Historians have divided the past into five periods:

• PREHISTORY: it began when the first human beings appeared. It is the most extensive historical period. It is divided into three periods:
• Paleolithic Age
• Neolithic Age
• Metal Ages.
• ACIENT HISTORY: it began aroun 5.000 years ago, when written language was invented. The first civilizations appeared during this period, such as Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
• THE MIDDLE AGES: it began at the ende of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D..
• MODERN AGE: it began in 1492 when Cristobal Colon discovered America.
• CONTEMPORARY HISTORY: it began in 1789 with the French Revolution. This is the period we live in.