Preserving dates - how far back does that go? Jun17 '07
Here's a concept I've struggled with for quite some time.
How long has the calendar existed? How far back did people actually know what year it was?
In the year 1750, did the people know it was 1750? We always reference certain events in history with the year. But is that year only for our current frame of reference, or was that also their frame of reference?
Here's what I think is true: people living prior to... let's say the 16th century did not actually know what year it was. Rather, modern systems, using historical data, went back and "filled in the blanks." In other words, we can decipher when a certain event happened, using facts and figures that surround that time. We can do the math - connect the line from the present to the past, and simply subtract the number of years.
In other words, if someone shows you a photo from the late 19th century (take a look at Shorpy for examples), with a date written on the back, who's best guess was that - something like "circa 1889?" Circa means "about," as in "about 1889." Nobody knows for sure.
What does it mean when someone shows you a photo from 1889? Well, the first thing you probably do is subtract the number of years from today, to 1889. Then you think - "Wow, that was a long time ago." So, we use our frame of reference to decide, metaphorically, how long ago something was. The number 1889 means absolutely nothing. My question, then, is... how far back were numbers used, and did they ever actually mean anything?
The Declaration Of Independence was physically signed with the year 1776. So they must have known then what year it was.
These days, our lives are surrounded by dates and times. Everywhere we look, we see clocks. Everything we do is stamped with the date.
I can't imagine in the 16th century that the date was as dominant, or as visible, as it is today.
However, due to advancements in technology - 100 years from now, people will know exactly when things happened today, because dates and times are better preserved.
Thankfully, the web can pretty much answer all of the questions I have here, and perhaps the Gregorian Calendar is starting down the right path.
Categories: History 
, Offbeat , Ponderings
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Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.
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