How New Historical Materials Give Rise to New Interpretive Methods: Three Historical Case Studies

Breakthroughs in historical research are often triggered by the discovery of new historical materials. The emergence of new materials not only broadens the research horizon but also profoundly promotes the innovation of historical interpretation methods and the transformation of historical research paradigms. For example, Oracle Bone Inscriptions, as an important form of writing in the late Shang Dynasty, not only recorded divinations and historical events but also became valuable materials for studying ancient society, culture, religion, and politics. Their discovery pushed back the history of written records in China to the Shang Dynasty, providing physical evidence for the origin and development of Chinese characters. With the development of archaeology and paleography, the study of Oracle Bone Inscriptions has continuously deepened, revealing more mysteries of ancient civilization. The register of Jacques Fournier’s Inquisition was transformed from religious records into material for social history research, promoting the formation of the “rural society reproduction method” and facilitating the rapid development of “seeing the large from the small” microhistory. Declassified Cold War archives, through multi-national mutual verification and integration with digital humanities technologies, have reshaped the research framework of international relations history. This demonstrates that the awakening of evidence consciousness and its integration with technological innovation are the core driving forces behind innovation in historical methods and knowledge production.