Devotion to Dust

     History is an odd study. It provides access to the past but only through filters and peep holes. History recounts the actions and effects of the dead which can be used a a guide to our decisions today though the outcomes are never certain. For many historians the study of past people and events is simply a passion that arouses curiosity and enthusiasm that cannot be directed anywhere except into books, into digs, and towards fellow enthusiasts. For many cultures, history is implicit in ordinary life from the buildings walked by to the social customs used to interact with family and foreigners. These places like Jerusalem, Rome, and Timbuktu possess a spirit that extends beyond time and memory and which holds firmly onto its residents for generations. The colonies of the Americas and South Pacific, notably the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand thoroughly destroyed and ignored native inhabitants of previously settled areas while simultaneously distancing colonial culture from the motherland. Specifically in the United States, popular culture believes history starts at the Revolutionary War in 1776 because nothing before that is worth remembering. That mindset is more dangerous than being in awe of the past because it places the present in full view outside of any context. Why do many nations see Americans as self-centered? Because to American citizens, the United States is the only nation that has ever mattered in history, and its greatness has never been eclipsed.
     History provides context by recognizing the triumphs and chastising the mistakes of the past while attempting to hold the present accountable and provide guidance to the future. Herodotus is credited as the Father of History since he is the first person acknowledged for recording historic events from first hand accounts in order to preserve knowledge. His work The History reveals insights into ancient Greece, Persia, and Egypt from monuments to travel routes to popular opinions. Although Herodotus was the first, he included bias and hear-say and did not document sources. He collected and compiled information to be kept safe for the future but did not include analysis or context. For centuries after Herodotus, records of events were kept throughout the Hellenistic world and collected, famously, in the library at Alexandria. The Romans continued the tradition of recording keeping, but the enthusiasm for analyzing records loss a great deal of its importance as the empire waned. The medieval period of Europe saw the near extinction of literacy and forced preservation to become the primary function of the learned.
     Napoleon Bonaparte's education reforms brought the modern methodology of a historian into play. On his conquests, he had geologists, botanists, zoologists, and a record keeper travel with his army to survey the land, biology, and events for future compilation. His forethought expanded the purpose of history from classical mythology and warfare to recording the present, analyzing the past, and changing a pastime into an academic pursuit.
     The current academic basis for historic inquiries varies for as many people as study history. Undeniably, studying history sates the unquenchable curiosity of mankind. History records the present for the future while revealing the past to the present lest the greatness of man's achievements are forgotten. While war, generals, and empires garner much attention, recent trends in the last few decades have focused on minorities, women, and civil rights as current social appetites dictate a new perspective. The study of history also reminds humanity of its failures and highlights pitfalls of the past. This can be a caution to world leaders and generals as well as a predictor for future imperial blunders and economic disasters.

     Perspective changes connotation. The components that dictate the changes of time can be broken down into three pivotal, interconnected cogs that drive the future onward. The smallest wheel spins rapidly and controls social movements and cultural adjustments to economic capabilities, wars, and civil relations. The medium wheel dictates political policies and laws that can control or react to social shifts. Though more powerful than the instant reaction of the masses, the political wheel spins more slowly. The third wheel moves languidly, nearly unnoticeably, and alters the climate and geography of a region which affects access to resources that influence political momentum, economic capabilities, military needs, and social attitudes.
     The small wheel that does all the spinning is the easiest for people to recognize and study, but it is controlled by larger, less obvious changes. Those larger forces are acknowledged but almost ignored. The climate of the ancient Nile allowed Egypt to flourish because of a consistent, easy water supply while the vast forests and Atlantic Coastline of Europe set the stage for the imperial expansion of the oceans similar to China's resource dominance in Asia.
     Part of the study of history is to answer questions; part of it is to find answers. History is a clock, and no matter which hand you focus on - time keeps ticking.


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Agatha Tyche