HIS 103: World History to 1500: Finding Primary Sources

Online Databases

• Ancient and Medieval History Online

  Ancient and Medieval History provides thorough coverage of world history from prehistory through the mid-1500s, with special Topic Centers on key eras, civilizations, and regions, including the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome; ancient and medieval Africa, Asia, and the Americas; medieval Europe; the Islamic World, and more. Each civilization’s history is brought to life through tablet/mobile-friendly videos and slideshows, primary sources, maps and graphs, timelines, suggested readings, and suggested search terms.

China

• Diary; the record of a pilgrimage to China in search of the law by Ennin 794-864; Edwin O Reischauer (Edwin Oldfather), 1910-1990,(Translator)

  Call Number: DS707 .E512

  Publication Date: 1955

  "Ennin was a priest of the Tendai school of Buddhism in Japan, and its third Zasu (座主, "Head of the Tendai Order")." [...] "In 838, Ennin was in the party which accompanied Fujiwara no Tsunetsugu's diplomatic mission to the Tang dynasty Imperial court.[2][3] The trip to China marked the beginning of a set of tribulations and adventures." [...] "He wrote more than one hundred books. His diary of travels in China, Nittō Guhō Junrei Kōki (入唐求法巡礼行記), was translated into English by Professor Edwin O. Reischauer under the title Ennin's Diary: The Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law. Sometimes ranked among the best travelogues in world literature, it is a key source of information on life in Tang China and Silla Korea and offers a rare glimpse of the Silla personality Jang Bogo." - from Wikipedia
• The description of the world by Marco Polo, 1254-1323?; [translated and annotated by] A.C. Moule & Paul Pelliot

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: 1938
• Contemporaries of Marco Polo, consisting of the travel records to the eastern parts of the world of William of Rubruck (1253-1255); the journey of John of Pian de Carpini (1245-1247); the journal of Friar Odoric (1318-1330) & the oriental travels of Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela (1160-1173) by Komroff, Manuel, 1890-1974 (edited by)

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: 1928
• Cathay and the way thither : being a collection of medieval notices of China by Sir Henry Yule, 1820-1889 (editor)

  Call Number: (via Hathitrust.org)

  Publication Date: London : Printed for the Hakluyt society, 1913-16.

Near East

• The Travels of Ibn Batuta by Ibn Battuta, 1304-1377; H.A.R. Gibb (translator)

  Call Number: (via Archive.org) in 4volumes

  Publication Date: 1958

  "Ibn Battuta was a Muslim Moroccan scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in Afro-Eurasia, largely in the lands of Dar al-Islam, travelling more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, totalling around 117,000 km (72,000 miles), surpassing Zheng He with about 50,000 km (30,000 miles) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km (15,000 miles).[1][2][3] Over a period of thirty years, Ibn Battuta visited most of southern Eurasia, including Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, he dictated an account of his journeys, titled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling, but commonly known as The Rihla." - from Wikipedia
• Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness by Ibn Fadlan; Paul Lunde (Translator, Introduction by); Caroline Stone (Translator, Introduction by)

  Call Number: DK511.T17 I2313 2012

  ISBN: 9780140455076

  Publication Date: 2012-01-31

  "In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual practices, as well as the only eyewitness account ever written of a Viking ship cremation. Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Arab travellers such as Ibn Fadlan journeyed widely and frequently into the far north, crossing territories that now include Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Their fascinating accounts describe how the numerous tribes and peoples they encountered traded furs, paid tribute and waged wars. This accessible new translation offers an illuminating insight into the world of the Arab geographers, and the medieval lands of the far north."--Publisher's website.
• The Life of Ibn Sina by Avicenna; William E. Gohlman (Edited and Translated by)

  Call Number: B751.A5 S5

  ISBN: 9780873952262

  Publication Date: 1974-06-30
• The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela by Michael A. Signer; Marcus N. Adler (Translator); A. Asher (Illustrator)

  Call Number: G370.B5 B46 1983

  ISBN: 9780934710077

  Publication Date: 1983-01-01

India

• Si-yu-ki. Buddhist records of the Western World. Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen Tsiang (A.D.629) by Samuel Beal. by Xuanzang, approximately 596-664.

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: London: K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1906.

  Contains descriptions of India by Chinese travelers at the turn of the 7th century A.D.
• The Life Of Hiuen Tsiang by the Shaman Hwui Li (tr. Samuel Beal)

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: London: Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner And Company Limited,1914
• India In The Fifteenth Century: Being A Collection Of Narratives Of Voyages To India In The Century Preceding The Portuguese Discovery Of The Cape Of Good Hope by R.H. Major (editor)

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1858

  Narratives of Italian, Arab, and Russian visitors to India in the 15th century.
• The History of India, as told by its own historians by Elliot, H. M. (Henry Miers), Sir; Ed. John Dowson, eds.

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: London : Trübner & Co., 1871

  A collection of histories of India written primarily by Persian authors.
• The overall survey of the ocean's shores (1433) by Ma Huyuan 1260 - 1334, with introd. notes and appendices by J.V.G. Mills.

  Call Number: Request Through Interlibrary Loan

  Publication Date: 1970
• The Babur Nama by Babur; Annette Susannah Beveridge (Translator); William Dalrymple (Introduction by)

  Call Number: Request Through Interlibrary Loan

  ISBN: 9781101908235

  Publication Date: 2020-11-03

  "A hardcover edition of the colorful memoirs of Babur (1483-1530), founder and first emperor of the Mughal dynasty in Central Asia and India. With a chronology, bibliography, and introduction by William Dalrymple"-- Provided by publisher.
• The Suma Oriental of Tomé Pires by Armando Cortesão

  Call Number: Request Through Interlibrary Loan

  ISBN: 9781409414568

  Publication Date: 2010-07-28

ARTstor offers you access to digital scans of art works from across the centuries, including medieval and ancient Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The Museum’s collection online offers everyone unparalleled access to objects in the collection. This innovative database is one of the earliest and most extensive online museum search platforms in the world. There are currently 2,335,338 records available, which represent more than 4,000,000 objects. 1,018,471 records have one or more images.

Online Databases

• Ancient and Medieval History Online

  Ancient and Medieval History provides thorough coverage of world history from prehistory through the mid-1500s, with special Topic Centers on key eras, civilizations, and regions, including the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome; ancient and medieval Africa, Asia, and the Americas; medieval Europe; the Islamic World, and more. Each civilization’s history is brought to life through tablet/mobile-friendly videos and slideshows, primary sources, maps and graphs, timelines, suggested readings, and suggested search terms.

Selected Texts

• The journeys of Réné Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle : as related by his faithful lieutenant, Henri de Tonty [and others] by Isaac Joslin Cox (editor and translator)

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: 1905

  Account of the earliest European exploration of the Mississippi Valley and Upper Midwest by La Salle.
• An Account of Monsieur de la Salle's last expedition and discoveries in North America presented to the French king, and published by the Chevalier Tonti, Governour of Fort St. Louis, in the province of Illinois ; made English from the Paris originals by Tonti, Henri de, d. 1704., Montauban, Sieur de, ca. 1650-1700.

  Call Number: Access via EEBO or EEBO-TCP.

  Publication Date: 1695

  Earliest English translation of this text.
• Joutel's journal of La Salle's last voyage, 1684-7 by Joutel, Henri, 1640?-1735; Stiles, Henry Reed

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: 1906

  Contains a very useful bibliography and historical account of European exploration of the Mississippi Valley starting on pg. 220.
• The Indian tribes of the upper Mississippi Valley and region of the Great Lakes as described by Nicolas Perrot, French commandant in the Northwest; Bacquevile de la Potherie, French royal commissioner to Canada; Morrell Marston, American officer [etc.] by Emma Helen Blair, d. 1911 (editor and translator); Perrot, Nicolas, 1644-1718; Bacqueville de La Potherie, M. de (Claude-Charles Le Roy), 1668-1738; Marston, Morrell, 1785-1831; Forsyth, Thomas, 1771-1833

  Call Number: (via Archive.org) Vol. 1, Vol. 2

  Publication Date: Cleveland, Ohio : The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1911

  Accounts of travels by early French explorers of the Mississippi Valley and Upper Midwest, and their interactions with Native American tribes.
• History and general description of New France. by Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix 1682-1761; Morrison, Noah Farnham, editor., Shea, John Gilmary 1824-1892, translator.. ;

  Call Number: (via Hathitrust.org)

  Publication Date: New York : F. P. Harper, 1900.

  Early historical account of French exploration and colonization of the North American interior.
• The generall historie of Virginia, New England & the Summer Isles, together with the true travels, adventures and observations, and A sea grammar by Captain John Smith, 1580-1631

  Call Number: (via Archive.org)

  Publication Date: Glasgow : J. MacLehose, New York, Macmillan, 1907

  Collected works of Captain John Smith, including his Generall Historie of Virginia, describing the first English colonies in North America and their interactions with the Native American tribes.

ARTstor offers you access to digital scans of art works from across the centuries, including medieval and ancient Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The list of primary source texts available from ancient Greece and Rome is extensive. An overview of these primary source resources can be found in the Primary Source Materials page to the Guide to Classics LibGuide.

Here, however, are two primary sources cited by Adrienne Mayor in The First Fossil Hunters:

• Guide to Greece by Pausanias; Peter Levi (Translator); John Newberry (Illustrator)

  Call Number: DF27 .P4 1979 v.1-2

  ISBN: 9780140442267

  Publication Date: 1984-08-07

  "Written in the second century AD by a Greek traveller for a predominantly Roman audience, Pausanias’ Guide to Greece is an extraordinarily literate and well-informed guidebook. A study of buildings, traditions and myth, it describes with precision and eloquence the glory of classical Greece shortly before its ultimate decline in the third century. This volume, the first of two, concerns the five provinces of central Greece, with an account of cities including Athens, Corinth and Thebes and a compelling depiction of the Oracle at Delphi. Along the way, Pausanias recounts Greek legends that are unknown from any other source and quotes a wealth of classical literature and poetry that would otherwise have been lost. An inspiration to Byron and Shelley, Guide to Greece remains one of the most influential travel books ever written." - Publisher Description
• Empedocles : The Extant Framents by M. R. Wright (Editor); Empedocles

  Call Number: B218.A4 E6 1981

  ISBN: 9780300024753

  Publication Date: 1981-09-10

  "One of the most important Presocratic philosophers was the Sicilian Empedocles. He presented his work in the form of two hexameter poems, of which about 450 lines are extant, revealing a formidable range of interests, acute observation, and a firm grasp of fundamental issues in the study of man and nature. Empedocles' theory of four elements was crucial to later developments in science and medicine. He showed how forces of attraction and repulsion acted on the elements within a framework of cyclical time and limited space, and initiated or advanced major discoveries in astronomy, biology, and physiology. More sophisticated concepts of divinity, personality, and mortality replaced traditional mythology, and these concepts were founded on the conviction that the individual has control over his own character and intellectual growth. The introduction discusses Empedocles' life and interests, the content of the Physics and Katharmoi, and the relation of the two poems to each other. A new Greek text with apparatus is followed by translation, commentary, and detailed concordance, to give a comprehensive edition of this key figure in the history of ideas." - Publisher description

Online Databases

The Beazley Archive Pottery Database contains the world's biggest photographic archive devoted to ancient Greek figure-decorated pottery.

ARTstor offers you access to digital scans of art works from across the centuries, including medieval and ancient Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The Museum’s collection online offers everyone unparalleled access to objects in the collection. This innovative database is one of the earliest and most extensive online museum search platforms in the world. There are currently 2,335,338 records available, which represent more than 4,000,000 objects. 1,018,471 records have one or more images.

Online Databases

• Ancient and Medieval History Online

  Ancient and Medieval History provides thorough coverage of world history from prehistory through the mid-1500s, with special Topic Centers on key eras, civilizations, and regions, including the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome; ancient and medieval Africa, Asia, and the Americas; medieval Europe; the Islamic World, and more. Each civilization’s history is brought to life through tablet/mobile-friendly videos and slideshows, primary sources, maps and graphs, timelines, suggested readings, and suggested search terms.

Selected Texts

• Documents of the African Past by Robert O. Collins (Editor)

  Call Number: DT1 .D55 2001

  ISBN: 9781558762893

  Publication Date: 2001-06-01

  "From the earliest extant firsthand account of the East African coast to the 1985 address by Nelson Mandela in which he rejected then-President Botha's offer of release from prison in exchange for renouncing his acts of violence, this book presents 71 key African documents in chronological order." - Provided by the publisher
• The African past : chronicles from antiquity to modern times by Basil Davidson 1914-2010,(Editor)

  Call Number: DT20 .D3

  Publication Date: Boston : Little, Brown, [1964]

  Extensive sourcebook of historical chronicles of Africa from African and foreign writers.
• The Travels of Ibn Batuta by Ibn Battuta, 1304-1377; H.A.R. Gibb (translator)

  Call Number: (via Archive.org) in 4volumes

  Publication Date: 1958

  "Ibn Battuta was a Muslim Moroccan scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in Afro-Eurasia, largely in the lands of Dar al-Islam, travelling more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, totalling around 117,000 km (72,000 miles), surpassing Zheng He with about 50,000 km (30,000 miles) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km (15,000 miles).[1][2][3] Over a period of thirty years, Ibn Battuta visited most of southern Eurasia, including Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, he dictated an account of his journeys, titled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling, but commonly known as The Rihla." - from Wikipedia
• Women Writing Africa, v. 2: West Africa and the Sahel by Esi Sutherland-Addy (Editor); Aminata Diaw (Editor); Tuzyline Jita Allan (Editor)

  Call Number: PL8014.W372 W66 2005

  ISBN: 9781558615014

  Publication Date: 2008-08-01

  "The acclaimed Women Writing Africa project "opens up worlds too often excluded from the history books" ("Booklist") and is an "essential resource for scholars and general readers alike" ("Library Journal"). It reveals the cultural legacy of African women in their own words, in never-before- published texts that include communal songs and lullabies, letters and speeches, poetry and fiction. Representing 20 languages and 12 countries, Volume 2 covers western Africa, where most African Americans find their roots. The collection presents an epic history of the region through the eyes of its women, from the age of African kings through colonialism and independence." -Publisher description

For an extensive listing of primary and secondary sources on Medieval West Africa, see the "Select Bibliography", pp. 469-477 in Michael A. Gomez, African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa.

ARTstor offers you access to digital scans of art works from across the centuries, including medieval and ancient Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.