Ancient (before 500 CE)
Analyzing Material Objects
The modules in Methods present case studies that demonstrate how scholars interpret different kinds of historical evidence in world history. This module developed by historian Daniel Waugh explores how historians interpret material objects to better understand the past.
Temple of Vespasian altar
This stone alter found in Pompeii, Italy was part of temple dedicated to the Roman Emperor Vespasian who ruled from 69 to 79 CE. The alter depicts a scene of a bull being led to a religious sacrifice, a common practice in ancient Rome.
Bone comb
Historians and archeologists can learn a great deal from artifacts such as this comb that may date from the Neolithic or Late Stone Age. Items found near the artifact can help provide context such as when the artifact was created and what it might have been used for.
Excavation at Çatalhöyük, Turkey
The excavation at Çatalhöyük in southern Turkey began in 1958 and scholars continue to actively search for artifacts at the site. Items found at Çatalhöyük have shown that the site has been inhabited since Neolithic times beginning in approximately 7100 BCE.
Primer: Tasting and Hearing the Past
Experiencing the full spectrum of world history involves all the senses. World historians not only use their eyes to see what happened; they not only read or otherwise examine written and visual evidence.
World Digital Library
The World Digital Library is a free online archive of over 19,000 culturally significant primary source materials from around the world.
Art of Asia
This site, an integrated, interactive media program, introduces users to the various arts of Asia. The site focuses on MIA’s extensive collections of Asian art, focusing on Chinese and Japanese art.
Mohenjo Daro
It presents 103 images and supporting secondary-source material from excavations of the Mohenjo Daro, or “Mound of the Dead,” site in the Indus Valley.
Hanover Historical Texts Project
The project has taken a selection of more than 115 primary texts in the public domain, in English or translated into English, and made them available to anyone with Internet access.