Excerpt from The Story of the Ancient Nations: A d104-Book for High Schools

The monumental sources include all those remains acci dentally left to us by any nation, which tell us of the religion, architecture and art, or the dress of this nation, or of any other side of its life. These sources may include the contents of graves, such as bodies, pottery, and implements of many kinds. The statues which are dug up from the ruins of old cities, and the remains of the houses and temples tell us of the artistic skill of the people. Coins are often found where the peoples of antiquity lived, and from these scholars derive information regarding the extent and nature of their com mercial life. The pictures painted on the walls of houses or in tombs help us to form some knowledge of the daily life and habits of the race.

The written sources include, first of all, books of every kind, especially histories written by men of these ancient nations. Almost as important is the information we gain from inscriptions. These are records cut into tablets of stone or bronze, or upon the sides of stone tombs and tem ples. They give us the laws passed by the kings and assem blies, records which at the present day are printed and filed in the government archives. The tomb inscriptions tell us the names and deeds of the kings or the great men whose bodies rested there. On the bases of statues we read the names of the artists who carved beautiful works in stone.

In addition to histories and inscriptions, the stories told by the ancient peeples about their early history may be used, with caution, to complete the picture. These are the legends of their gods and heroes, handed down for centuries by word of mouth. They are generally classed under one head and called oral tradition. Although not very trustworthy as to the events narrated, they show what these peoples thought about their own past, and sometimes give us vague hints regarding actual events.

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