Which item is a secondary source?

Study for the Honors Ancient History Exam. Master the material with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each featuring detailed hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for success!

Understanding what makes a source secondary hinges on who created it and when it was produced relative to the events. A modern history volume is written by a historian who analyzes, compares, and interprets earlier sources after the fact. It presents explanations and arguments about what happened, drawing on primary texts, artifacts, and other evidence. That interpretive layer makes it a secondary source. In contrast, an ancient inscription is produced during the period it describes and records information directly from that time; it is a primary source. A temple inscription similarly records a message or decree from antiquity, another direct artifact. A coin hoard consists of physical objects from the period; while invaluable for understanding economy and circulation, it is primary material rather than analysis. Therefore, the modern history volume is the secondary source.