Chapter 15. Historical Method and Source Analysis
Sources. Primary sources (inscriptions, chronicles, letters, official records, photographs, oral testimony, artifacts) come from the period studied; secondary sources interpret them. Historians evaluate each source for origin, purpose, audience, reliability and bias [36][57].
Types of evidence in Sri Lankan history: rock and pillar inscriptions, chronicles (Mahavamsa, Culavamsa), archaeological remains, colonial records, newspapers and oral traditions [33][35].
Historical thinking: chronology, cause and effect, continuity and change, significance and different interpretations [57].
Writing a historical essay
Answer the question directly with a clear thesis.
Organize by theme or chronology.
Support every claim with specific evidence (names, dates, examples).
Consider different interpretations and counter-arguments.
Reach a reasoned conclusion.
Common pitfalls: narrating without analysis, judging the past by present standards without context, ignoring bias and using sweeping generalizations.
Heritage and archaeology. Sites such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy and Galle Fort are part of a shared heritage; protecting them is a public responsibility.
Review: What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source? (Answer: a primary source is original evidence from the time; a secondary source analyses or interprets it.)