History : Medieval: Primary Sources

What Are Primary Sources?

Primary sources are the evidence of history.  They are the first-hand accounts of an event or period of time created by participants or observers.  Depending on the period you are studying, primary sources can include texts (letters, diaries, government reports, newspaper accounts, novels, autobiographies), images (photographs, paintings, advertisements, posters), artifacts (buildings, clothing, sculpture, coins) and audio/visual (songs, oral history interviews, films). For more information on history primary sources, visit our Primary Source by Type guide.