Sources define the boundary of a claim

Sources

A source label answers where a claim comes from. An evidence note states how far the available material can support it.

ARC Archaeology

Excavated objects, sites, burials, inscriptions and remains with an evaluated date and context.

HIS Historical records

Official histories, archives, gazetteers, biographies and writing close to the period under discussion.

FOL Myth & folklore

Myth, oral accounts, local worship, community memory and later attribution.

PER Drama & romance

Historical romance, opera, storytelling and staged or performed versions.

MED Literature & media

Fiction, supernatural literature, film, animation, games and other authored adaptations.

WEB Internet remix

Short-video claims, memes, viral explanations and reinterpretations whose circulation can be traced online.

Seven evidence conclusions

Editors apply conclusions to individual claims. One entry may contain material evidence, disputed interpretation and fiction.

The object or site exists, with provenance and dating stated.

Several records support the claim, with dependence between texts considered.

One known text records the claim; later repetition does not create independent evidence.

Sources or scholarly interpretations conflict.

The claim belongs to oral, local or devotional tradition.

An authored work created or fixed the episode.

The claim circulates online without an earlier reliable source.