The Great Conversation: Unwritten History

The Great Conversation: Unwritten History
Posted on 10/21/2024

At its core, the study of history is the study of humanity. It is the study of our shared story. It is, by its very nature, a human endeavor. Charlemagne, Napolean, Eleanor Roosevelt, and other well-known names are typically at the forefront of historical study. Rightfully so, as these are people who shaped the world of their time. Their contributions to history ought to be studied closely. That is how we learn about the past.

However, for every Charlemagne, there were thousands of serfs who worked the fields to provide food for their kingdom. For every Napolean, there were countless men who gave their lives for their cause. For every Eleanor Roosevelt, there were millions of women who helped shape the culture of their time.  Yet, when we learn history, we rarely learn about the lives of the “ordinary” people. To truly understand history, we must understand the lives of those people. But their stories are seldom written.  How then do we learn about them?

Archaeology provides that answer. It is a science focused solely on observing past objects and wondering about the people who made them. It is the study of humanity. Sir Grahame Clark, says this about Archaeology: “[Archaeology] seeks to discover how we became human beings endowed with minds and souls before we had learned to write.”  It gives us a view into the very things which make us human. Therefore, historical study, being concerned with humanity, must employ archaeology. It is only through observing physical remains that we can learn about the people whose names have not been written in records.

Notre Dame stands as a monument to Medieval art and architecture. Maurice de Sully and Jean de Chelles are credited as the first overseers and master builders of the cathedral. Their designs and efforts gave us a beautiful example of Western architecture, but this work of art was not built by just two men. Indeed, over the course of almost two hundred years, it took thousands of carpenters, masons, and other skilled artisans to construct this edifice. Are their efforts any less important than de Sully’s or de Chelles’s?  Of course not! These artisans were human beings with rich lives, without whom we would not have this amazing work of art.

Through this cathedral we are seeing the life’s work of countless people. We learn about how those people coordinated their efforts throughout almost two centuries. We learn about the importance of their religion. We learn about what those people valued simply by looking at their work.

Observing art, an artefact, or a building and wondering about its creation is the only way we can study these peoples’ lives, thoughts, and values with any sort of accuracy. The things that past peoples left us give us a vital glimpse into the lives of people whose stories may never be written. Thus, to study history, we all must observe the physical things that have been left for us to see.  We all must be archaeologists.

a woman during the suffrage movement

Notre Dame cathedral
an artefact
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