Auxiliary sciences of history

The Auxiliary sciences of history are fields of study based on historical sources and items.[1]

Many of these fields of study started between the 16th and 19th centuries. At first, they were started by students of old artifacts.[2] At the time, "History" was thought of only as a literary skill.

In the late 18th century the study of history became more empirical. This change was lead by the Göttingen School of History.[3] Then in the mid-19th century, Leopold von Ranke also focused on it. These changes lead to the rise of the trained historian as a skill.[4][5]

The auxiliary sciences of history include, but are not limited to:[1]

  • Archeology, the study of human activity
  • Archaeography, the study of ancient documents
  • Archival science, the study and theory of making and maintaining archives
  • Chorography, the study of regions and places
  • Chronology, the study of the sequence of past events
  • Cliometrics, using economic theory and other mathematical methods to study history
  • Codicology, the study of books
  • Diplomatics, the study historical documents
  • Epigraphy, the study of ancient inscriptions
  • Genealogy, the study of family relationships
  • Heraldry, the study of armorial devices
  • Numismatics, the study of coins
  • Onomastics, the study of proper names
  • Paleography, the study of old handwriting
  • Phaleristics, the study of military orders, fraternities, and award items
  • Philately, the study of postage stamps
  • Philology, the study of the language of historical sources
  • Prosopography, the investigation of a historical group of individuals
  • Sigillography, the study of seals
  • Toponymy, the study of place-names
  • Vexillology, the study of flags

References
  1. Drake, Miriam A. (2003). Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Dekker Encyclopedias Series. Vol. 3. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8247-2079-2.
  2. Sweet, Rosemary (2004). Antiquaries: the discovery of the past in eighteenth-century Britain. London: Hambledon & London. p. xiv. ISBN 1-85285-309-3.
  3. Ranke, Leopold von (2011). Iggers, Georg G. (ed.). The Theory and Practice of History. Abingdon: Routledge. p. xix. ISBN 978-0-415-78032-2.
  4. Green, Anna; Troup, Kathleen, eds. (1999). The Houses of History: A Critical Reader in Twentieth-Century History and Theory. Manchester University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-7190-5255-2.
  5. Stern, Fritz, ed. (1972). The Varieties of History: From Voltaire to the Present (2nd ed.). New York: Vintage Books. p. 54. ISBN 0-394-71962-X.
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