In Dec 2020, Business Insider Australia published an article called ’13 discoveries in the last year have fundamentally altered our understanding of human history’.
The article refers to discoveries in Mexico which provide evidence that the first people arrived in North America during the last Ice Age by boat, not by land bridge as had been previously believed. It also refers to discoveries that suggest that the stone used to build Stonehenge came from Wales, not England.
We must review and update conclusions
It’s not the only time that someone has written such an article. They tend to pop up every year, and now and then people make television shows on the same theme.
The lesson here is that historical research does not produce a single, final version of what happened in the past.
Revisiting and revising earlier interpretations is an important part of the research process. This is partly because new evidence comes to light, but it also because we as historians and genealogists change over time. We accumulate new skills and new ways of thinking, and we gain access to new analytical tools.
When researching family history, it is important to keep this in mind. Family history is never complete and it does need to be re-examined from time to time.
Avoid using the terms facts and proof
This is why I like to say there are no ‘facts’ or ‘proof’ in family history. There are of course some facts – you are here, therefore it is a fact that you were born – but I am sure you get what I mean.
The problem I have with these terms is that they make us feel a level of comfort in our research that is undeserved. They imply a finality that is inconsistent with historical methodology.
I believe that these terms discourage us from seeking sufficient evidence to support our conclusions, conducting new research and revisiting our conclusions, and being open to the idea that someone else’s research may be more accurate than ours.
I prefer to stick with the more neutral terms – ‘information’ ‘evidence’ and ‘conclusions’. This keeps me open to the possibility that new information will provide new evidence which will require me to revise my conclusions.
More information
For more of my articles about research methods for family history, go to the Research Methods page.
Post last updated 4 June 2024
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