# auxiliary science of history

> scholarly disciplines which help evaluate and use historical sources and are seen as auxiliary for historical research

**Wikidata**: [Q770723](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q770723)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_sciences_of_history)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/auxiliary-science-of-history

## Summary
The auxiliary sciences of history are scholarly disciplines that help evaluate and use historical sources, serving as essential supporting fields for historical research. These specialized disciplines provide the methodologies and analytical frameworks necessary to authenticate, interpret, and contextualize primary historical documents and artifacts.

## Key Facts
- Also known as "auxiliary sciences of history" or "Auxiliary sciences of history"
- Wikipedia title: "Auxiliary sciences of history"
- Wikidata description: "scholarly disciplines which help evaluate and use historical sources and are seen as auxiliary for historical research"
- Sitelink count: 30
- Parent/Part-of disciplines include: epigraphy, diplomatics, archival science, phaleristics, codicology, filigranology, heraldry, sigillography, genealogy, and archontology
- Contains the "study of history" as a subsidiary discipline
- Related disciplines include: numismatics, palaeography, papyrology, philately, historical metrology, uniformology, and necropolis studies
- Associated notable practitioners span from 1786 to the present, including figures from Poland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Russia, Georgia, and England

## FAQs

**What disciplines fall under the auxiliary sciences of history?**
The field encompasses a wide range of specialized disciplines including epigraphy (study of inscriptions), diplomatics (study of document protocols), archival science (storage and registration of historic data), heraldry (study of arms and rank protocol), sigillography (study of seals on documents), genealogy (study of family ancestry and descendants), codicology (study of manuscripts), filigranology (study of watermarks), phaleristics (study of awards), and archontology. Related disciplines also include numismatics, palaeography, papyrology, philately, historical metrology, necropolis studies, and uniformology.

**Which historical figures are associated with the auxiliary sciences of history?**
Notable practitioners include Polish historians Franciszek Piekosiński (1844–1906), Joachim Lelewel (1786–1861), Władysław Semkowicz (1878–1949), Aleksander Gieysztor (1916–1999), Zdzisław Chmielewski, and Błażej Śliwiński; Austrian historians Herwig Wolfram and Walter Pohl; German archivist and historian Heinrich Otto Meisner (1890–1976); Czech historian and archivist August Sedláček (1843–1926); Yugoslav historian Viktor Novak (1889–1977); Russian historian Evgeny Pchelov; Georgian historian Tedo Zhordania (1854–1916); and English genealogist and herald Edmund Lodge.

**How do the auxiliary sciences of history relate to the study of history itself?**
The "study of history" (sitelink count: 14), defined as the academic discipline that studies past events, is classified as a subsidiary component within the broader auxiliary sciences framework. The auxiliary disciplines exist to support this primary historical inquiry by providing the specialized tools needed for source evaluation and interpretation.

## Why It Matters
The auxiliary sciences of history matter because they provide the technical and methodological foundation upon which reliable historical scholarship is built. Without these specialized disciplines for analyzing ancient writing systems, authenticating documents, interpreting heraldic symbols, understanding historical measurement systems, and evaluating material evidence like coins, seals, and watermarks, historians would lack the means to properly assess the validity and context of their primary sources. These disciplines serve as the bridge between raw historical artifacts and meaningful historical interpretation, ensuring that conclusions about the past are grounded in verified, properly contextualized evidence. Their significance is reflected in the extensive network of interconnected fields—from genealogy with its sitelink count of 103, demonstrating broad public engagement with family history research, to specialized fields like filigranology that provide crucial authentication techniques for manuscript studies.

## Notable For
- Serving as a comprehensive umbrella term for multiple specialized historical analysis disciplines, each with distinct methodologies
- Encompassing genealogy, which has the highest sitelink count (103) among its component disciplines, reflecting widespread public interest in family history
- Including heraldry (sitelink count: 84) as both a parent discipline and a field combining art, protocol, and historical record-keeping
- Covering numismatics (sitelink count: 87), which bridges economics, art history, and archaeological analysis through the study of currencies
- Containing epigraphy (sitelink count: 72) and palaeography (sitelink count: 68), two of the most fundamental tools for interpreting ancient texts
- Incorporating diplomatics (sitelink count: 48), which provides essential methods for verifying the authenticity of historical documents
- Including highly specialized fields like filigranology (sitelink count: 10) for watermark analysis and archontology (sitelink count: 7) for the study of historical offices

## Body

### Definition and Scope

The auxiliary sciences of history encompass scholarly disciplines designed to help evaluate and use historical sources effectively. These fields are viewed as auxiliary to primary historical research, providing the specialized tools necessary for source verification, interpretation, and contextualization. The concept has a sitelink count of 30 across various knowledge platforms and is recognized under the aliases "auxiliary sciences of history" and "Auxiliary sciences of history."

### Core Component Disciplines

The field includes several core disciplines classified as part of or parent to the auxiliary sciences framework:

**Epigraphy** (sitelink count: 72) focuses on the study of old inscriptions or epigraphs as writing, providing essential tools for interpreting texts preserved on stone, metal, and other durable materials.

**Diplomatics** (sitelink count: 48) involves the academic study of the protocols of documents, enabling scholars to authenticate and analyze formal historical records.

**Archival science** (sitelink count: 46) addresses the science of storage and registration of historic data, ensuring the preservation and accessibility of primary sources.

**Heraldry** (sitelink count: 84) covers the study and art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, serving as both an analytical tool and a historical record in itself.

**Sigillography** (sitelink count: 40) examines the study of seals attached to documents as a source of historical information, critical for verifying document authenticity and understanding administrative practices.

**Genealogy** (sitelink count: 103) is the study of a family's ancestors and descendants, representing the most widely referenced auxiliary discipline in terms of sitelink count.

**Codicology** (sitelink count: 29) involves the study of manuscripts as physical objects, complementing textual analysis with material examination.

**Filigranology** (sitelink count: 10) focuses on the study of watermarks, providing dating and authentication evidence for paper-based documents.

**Phaleristics** (sitelink count: 37) is the study of awards, including orders, decorations, and medals, which serve as important historical artifacts reflecting political and cultural values.

**Archontology** (sitelink count: 7) represents another specialized auxiliary discipline dealing with the study of historical offices and institutions.

### Related Disciplines

Beyond the core component classification, several disciplines are related to the auxiliary sciences:

**Numismatics** (sitelink count: 87) is the study of currencies, coins, and paper money, providing evidence for economic history, chronology, and artistic development.

**Palaeography** (sitelink count: 68) involves the study of ancient writing, essential for deciphering and dating handwritten historical documents.

**Papyrology** (sitelink count: 35) is the scientific study of ancient manuscripts, particularly those written on papyrus.

**Philately** (sitelink count: 77) covers the study of stamps and postal history and other related items, offering insights into communication networks and political symbolism.

**Historical metrology** (sitelink count: 11) is the study of measurement systems, enabling historians to understand quantitative references in historical sources.

**Uniformology** (sitelink count: 7) examines military and official uniforms, contributing to the understanding of organizational history and material culture.

**Necropolis studies** (sitelink count: 5) is an academic discipline related to the study of cemeteries and burial practices as historical sources.

### Subsidiary Relationship

The auxiliary sciences of history contain the **study of history** (sitelink count: 14) as a subsidiary discipline, defined as the academic discipline that studies past events. This relationship underscores the foundational role that auxiliary sciences play in supporting primary historical inquiry.

### Notable Practitioners

The auxiliary sciences of history have been advanced by numerous scholars across different eras and national traditions:

**Polish Contributors:** Franciszek Piekosiński (1844–1906) worked as a historian. Joachim Lelewel (1786–1861) was a historian and politician with a sitelink count of 29, representing one of the most documented figures in this network. Władysław Semkowicz (1878–1949) contributed as a historian. Aleksander Gieysztor (1916–1999) was a historian with a sitelink count of 16. Zdzisław Chmielewski served as both a politician and historian. Błażej Śliwiński worked as a scientist.

**Austrian Contributors:** Herwig Wolfram (sitelink count: 19) and Walter Pohl (sitelink count: 15) are historians who have contributed to the field.

**German Contributors:** Heinrich Otto Meisner (1890–1976) worked as an archivist and historian of the modern age, with a sitelink count of 5.

**Czech Contributors:** August Sedláček (1843–1926) was a historian and archivist with a sitelink count of 9, holding citizenship in what is now the Czech Republic.

**Yugoslav Contributors:** Viktor Novak (1889–1977) was a historian with a sitelink count of 6, holding citizenship in Yugoslavia.

**Russian Contributors:** Evgeny Pchelov (sitelink count: 6) is a historian who has held citizenship in both the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation.

**Georgian Contributors:** Tedo Zhordania (1854–1916) was a historian, philologist, and educator with a sitelink count of 5.

**English Contributors:** Edmund Lodge (sitelink count: 5) was a genealogist and herald, holding citizenship in both England and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

## References

1. Directory of Open Access Journals
2. Integrated Authority File
3. [Nuovo soggettario](https://thes.bncf.firenze.sbn.it/termine.php?id=61976)
4. [Source](https://lingualibre.fr/wiki/Q205566)
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. BabelNet
7. FactGrid
8. National Library of Israel
9. [Regional Database of the Central Bohemian Research Library in Kladno](https://ipac.svkkl.cz/arl-kl/cs/detail-kl_us_auth-h0006081-pomocne-vedy-historicke)
10. Wikibase TDKIV