The Auxiliary sciences of history Are all the disciplines that have arisen over time. However, in this case, it is necessary to make a clearer distinction.
Certainly every knowledge has had a birth and evolution, but that does not necessarily imply that historians use this knowledge to establish how events happened.
For this reason there are disciplines created to contribute to the development of History and others that are more differentiated.
In addition, the current processes associated with knowledge imply a joint work that draws on many specialties at the same time. For this science, will try to establish which are the most direct and others that are very useful.
19 complementary sciences of History
1 - Archeology
This discipline, which is also associated with paleontology, uses ancient material remains to interpret how the cultures of the past lived. This type of knowledge is closely linked to history, because it is about recounting what happened.
Fossils, tombs, structures, tools, art and literature reveal social, cultural and artistic aspects of a given society. That allows rebuilding their civilization, what were their customs and how lived its members at that specific time.
2- Geography
As part of the known world, the location of events is vitally important from the historical point of view. The development of living beings and especially of humanity is conditioned by the place where they settled and flourished.
History can refer to the universe itself, the formation of the Earth and how it came to the present. All of this requires a spatial location to understand where the events happened, why that place is important, and how it influenced subsequent events.
3- Cartography
This science focuses on the elaboration of precise maps on territorial and geographical boundaries that can have different dimensions.
Although it has been one of the disciplines most influenced by the technology, the old illustrations show the ingenuity, the imagination and the perception that was had in a given moment on the mapped regions.
4- Stratigraphy
Born of geology, this knowledge is based on the classification of the different types of rocks in the strata of the floor .
The identification of sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic stones allows the establishment of events related to the earth's crust. With the support of archeology it is possible to recreate geographical conditions, climatic and geological events of importance.
5. Chronology
This discipline is focused on establishing the facts chronologically; That is, the precise moment in which they happened.
This is essential to accurately determine the historical periods, the most relevant dates, the dating of the sources, the context of the documents, among other significant aspects.
6 - Demography
Also associated with geography and sociology, it determines the growth and development of populations in statistical form. It provides data on how populations increase, stay or decline in a particular country or location.
This is based on indices such as birth, mortality, morbidity, migration , Immigration and a whole series of variables that have historical value.
7- Ethnology
Related to anthropology, this discipline is responsible for classifying, describing and ascertaining the races of the peoples, how they have been constituted and the customs they possess.
From a historical point of view, it is fundamental to know the whole route or the biography of Ethnicities , Clans and families that have influenced their environment and the legacy they represent for that community.
8- Genealogy
Related to ethnography, this discipline refers to the line of descent followed by families who have appeared throughout history. It also refers to offspring that may have occurred at a particular time.
It is of vital importance for the study of dynasties, bloodlines, kings and queens, clans and families that have played a leading role in their locality or country. It also serves to know our ancestors, how their surname was transmitted and how they reached other latitudes.
Numismatics
Gold coins of the Empire of Julius Nepus
Considered as the oldest of the auxiliary sciences of history, it is related to the analysis of medals, coins and notes of a particular period or civilization.
Associated with political and economic elements, this study can be considered in a descriptive or theoretical way depending on the context that one wishes to take as historical reference.
10- Epigraphy
Framed within the literary and philological context, this science has the purpose of making known and interpreting the ancient inscriptions in materials such as stone, clay, granite or in caves and temples that have survived.
Its main function is to transmit that ancestral knowledge through the contextual interpretation of these writings. For the historian it is important to know the precise meaning of an image or a hieroglyph that prevents him from falling into imprecise or speculative interpretations.
11- Paleography
Unlike the previous one, this discipline treats any type of old text for its due decipherment in relation to the historical moment. It is also responsible for preserving, dating and doing a systematic and critical study of the writing in question.
It can be associated with linguistics, librarianship, papyrology or archeology, among others. It is fundamental for the study of literature, thought and ideas transmitted by different cultures that managed to survive various circumstances.
12- Heraldry
This science, which is closely linked to lineages and families of earlier times, refers to the study of the images represented in the coats of arms.
It may be focused on surnames of rank, as well as on countries that once hovered this kind of symbol. Within history are important references about the values that identified them.
13- Diplomatics
This is another discipline that studies the documents that have occurred throughout history. It does not take into account who the author was, but rather concentrates on his inner and outer qualities for proper interpretation and authenticity.
These factors include language, writing, formatting, the way it has been written, and other elements.
14- Sigilografía
Related to some of the earlier disciplines, the main function of this science is to uncover the meaning of the ancient seals used in documents, official communications and letters.
Besides checking its legitimacy, it also takes into account the historical circumstances, the linguistic conditions and the importance that it had in the events of the time.
15- Bibliography
The references of books and texts are essential for any science, especially when it comes to recreating history.
As a study of the process that publishes and stores the books in physical and digital form, it seeks the best implementation for its recovery. This involves facilitating consultation, making documents more accessible and using a standardized system.
16- Ecology
When this discipline is understood as the interaction of man with his environment, his biological relation also contains historical nuances. In fact, its importance has been enhanced by the effects that human activity has had on the environment.
Although it is a relatively recent branch, the interactions between living beings in their Ecosystems Is something that dates from the creation of the earth. These manifestations explain cyclical or cultural behaviors that have occurred through the centuries.
17- Political and legal sciences
Together with law, these sciences are an indivisible part of the historical process of the nations that have had the greatest influence on the world. Electoral processes and the evolution of laws go hand in hand with the formation of societies.
In addition to the cultural, economic or artistic context, nations have had to go through an arduous path of colonization, independence, revolution, political and legal models that have represented those great changes that history tells us.
18- Linguistics
The transition from magical and oral traditions to writing is one of the points that clearly define the beginning of history. The various spoken languages represent systems of symbols that have recorded the most significant facts of each culture.
Although the records are often incomplete, the development of languages allows reconstructing the circumstances or thinking of an era. In addition, it is integrated to all forms of communication that have arisen in the future of humanity.
19- Philosophy
Considered by many the mother of all sciences because it speaks of thought itself, it is central to the ideological formation of civilizations. It includes deduction, interpretation, dialectics, ethics, logic and much more.
It is the basis of scientific method That integrates all the disciplines that need of the experimentation and the verification of hypotheses to confirm theories. The ability to theorize is common to all the disciplines we know.
There are many disciplines that can be included in this list. Whether everything related to art, literature and music or more accurate sciences such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology.
To understand the world in historical terms, it is necessary to put in the balance a whole series of knowledge that interrelate with each other and complement each other in a reciprocal way.
References
- Wikipedia (2017). Auxiliary disciplines used in history. Retrieved from: en.wikipedia.org.
- Monzón, Miguel (2015). Auxiliary sciences of history. Retrieved from: prezi.com.
- Amakara, Leyva (2010). Auxiliary sciences of history. Recovered from: es.slideshare.net.
- Castillero, Ana (without date). 70 auxiliary sciences of history. Retrieved from: www.academia.edu.