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Year 7 History · How historians and archaeologists investigate the past

Name: ______________________

Date: ____________

1. Which is a primary source for studying ancient Rome?
- ☐ (a) A modern film about gladiators
- ☐ (b) A Roman coin
- ☐ (c) A history textbook written in 2015
- ☐ (d) A museum website summary
2. What does an archaeologist mainly study?
- ☐ (a) Physical remains of the past
- ☐ (b) Future weather patterns
- ☐ (c) Only written books
- ☐ (d) Living animals
3. In undisturbed layers of soil, which layer is usually oldest?
- ☐ (a) The top layer
- ☐ (b) The middle layer
- ☐ (c) The deepest layer
- ☐ (d) All are the same age
4. Which question helps judge a source's reliability?
- ☐ (a) What colour is it?
- ☐ (b) How heavy is it?
- ☐ (c) Is it expensive?
- ☐ (d) Why was it created?
5. A source becomes evidence when…
- ☐ (a) it is very old
- ☐ (b) it is used to answer a historical question
- ☐ (c) it is in a museum
- ☐ (d) it is written down
6. An object made or used by people in the past is an ____.
7. A textbook written today about ancient China is a primary or secondary source?
8. What type of scientific dating measures the decay of carbon in once-living material? (one word before 'dating')

Answer sheet

1. A Roman coin — A Roman coin was made at the time.
2. Physical remains of the past — Archaeology studies physical remains such as artefacts and sites.
3. The deepest layer — Layers build up over time, so the deepest is usually oldest.
4. Why was it created? — Purpose affects how trustworthy a source is.
5. it is used to answer a historical question — Evidence is information used to support an answer or argument.
6. artefact — Artefacts are objects made or used by people.
7. secondary — It was created long after the period it describes.
8. radiocarbon — Radiocarbon dating can estimate the age of organic material up to about 50,000 years old.