Man the Social Being
Learning About the Past
- What does the term "history" mean?
Answer: The study of past events.
- Why is it important to learn about the past?
Answer: To understand societal development, appreciate heritage, and make informed decisions.
- How do we learn about the past?
Answer: Archaeology, oral traditions, written records, and artifacts.
- What units are used to measure time in history?
Answer: Years, decades, centuries, and millennia.
Reasons for Learning About the Past
- Why is it necessary to learn about the past in a modern society?
Answer: To understand the present and project the future.
- How can understanding the past help us understand the present?
Answer: By knowing how people lived and what happened in the past, we can understand the background to how things are today.
- How can understanding the past help us project the future?
Answer: By learning from past experiences and events, we can anticipate what might happen in the future.
- What is the significance of learning about the colonial history of our region?
Answer: It helps us understand why ethnic groups are sometimes found across the borders of present-day countries.
- Why is it important to develop respect for our ancestors' achievements?
Answer: It helps us appreciate their skills and traditions, such as iron-working skills.
- What can studying the past help us learn about?
Answer: Our families, ancestors, and the traditions typical of different ethnic groups.
- What is an example of an interesting cultural tradition in Zambia?
Answer: The Kuomboka ceremony of the Lozi, during which the Lozi king travels by barge from his dry season palace to his wet season palace.
- What role do chiefs and kings play in the different ethnic groups in Zambia?
Answer: They play important leadership roles, and their positions are often determined by cultural traditions.
- How do cultural traditions influence the inheritance of positions by chiefs and kings?
Answer: In some ethnic groups, chiefs or kings inherit their positions from their fathers, while in others, they inherit from their mother's side of the family.
- What does understanding our history give us?
Answer: A feeling of belonging to a certain group of people.
- Why is it important to understand our family history?
Answer: It helps us understand our cultural heritage and the significance of our names and traditions.
- How can studying history help us avoid conflicts?
Answer: By understanding the causes and effects of historical events, we can learn from past mistakes and find solutions to modern conflicts.
- What is the purpose of interviewing an elderly person about cultural traditions and events?
Answer: To learn about the history behind cultural traditions and events, and to understand why studying the past is important.
- What are the different ways in which we can learn about the past?
Answer: Oral traditions, written records, and other methods that provide physical evidence or recorded information.
- What does "oral" mean in the context of oral traditions?
Answer: It means "by mouth" or spoken, referring to the transmission of information through spoken words.
- What type of information can be obtained from oral traditions?
Answer: Information about past generations, lines and names of kings or chiefs, tales of battles and wars, and organisation of state and power hierarchies.
- What is the disadvantage of relying on oral traditions?
Answer: They do not provide visible or recorded evidence about the past.
- What are some examples of written records that provide information about the past?
Answer: Books, letters, magazines, newspapers, diaries of historical figures, and records kept by government departments.
- What is the significance of the Rosetta Stone?
Answer: It is one of the world's most important written records from ancient times, featuring the same text in three different languages, including ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- What were some of the early writing materials used in ancient times?
Answer: Papyrus, parchment (made from stretched animal skin), and scrolls.
- What is archaeology?
Answer: The study of ancient remains and people through the excavation and analysis of material evidence.
- What type of material evidence do archaeologists study?
Answer: Artefacts, buildings, human and animal remains, and evidence of past environments.
- Why is archaeology important in understanding the past?
Answer: It provides evidence that can be compared with written records, helping to build a clear understanding of past events.
- What is the goal of archaeologists when analyzing artefacts?
Answer: To understand the behavior and society of the people who made and used the artefacts.
- What can archaeologists' findings tell us about ancient human societies?
Answer: How they lived and survived, how they moved from one place to another, and their social organization, including religious beliefs and family structures.
Zambian Archaeological Sites
- What are some examples of Zambian archaeological sites?
Answer: Ing'ombe ilede in southern Zambia and Kalambo Falls in northern Zambia.
Anthropology and Linguistics
- What is anthropology?
Answer: The study of how people lived, both in the past and today, including their beliefs, customs, and culture.
- What is linguistics?
Answer: The scientific study of languages, including their similarities and differences, and how language reflects and influences social life.
- What can the common characteristics of languages reveal about cultural groups?
Answer: Their common origin, such as the shared characteristics of Bantu languages in southern central Africa.
Studying the Past
- What is the main difference between history and archaeology?
Answer: History focuses on written records, while archaeology focuses on material evidence such as artefacts and buildings.
- What kind of information can be obtained from artefacts such as old metal arrowheads and bones?
Answer: Information about the people who made and used them, such as their technology, hunting practices, and way of life.
Measurement of Time in History
- Why is it important to understand different calendars when studying the past?
Answer: To accurately measure time and understand how long ago events took place.
The Christian Calendar
- What is the basis of the Christian calendar?
Answer: The traditional birth year of Jesus Christ.
- What do the abbreviations BC and AD stand for?
Answer: BC stands for "Before Christ" and AD stands for "Anno Domini", meaning "in the year of our Lord".
- How are centuries numbered in the Christian calendar?
Answer: The years from 1 AD to 99 AD are the first century AD, the years from 100 AD to 199 AD are the second century AD, and so on.
Measuring Historical Time
- What is a decade?
Answer: A period of 10 years.
- What is a generation?
Answer: A period of about 30 years, roughly the time it takes for children to grow up and have children of their own.
- What is a century?
Answer: A period of 100 years.
- What is a millennium?
Answer: A period of 1000 years.
Exercise 2: Measure Historical Time
- Match the dates in the table below to the correct description.
Answer: See table below.
- Explain the mistake in saying that 1985 was in the 19th century.
Answer: 1985 is actually in the 20th century, as the 19th century refers to the years from 1801 to 1900.
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