1, different concepts.
Physical historical materials refer to all kinds of cultural relics, monuments, sites, buildings, inscriptions, sculptures, paintings, etc. Although most of these historical materials are fragmentary, they are reliable sources of historical testimony and historical knowledge, which can not only truly reflect history, but also be intuitive. Historical documents are historical books written by people close to the time to be studied, and they are important historical materials for studying at that time.
2, the content is different
Physical historical materials include production tools, means of subsistence and relics of historical events. Historical documents include written materials and oral materials. Oral information refers to the past human words and deeds passed down from generation to generation.
3. Different meanings
Physical historical materials can make up for the shortage of literature and fill the blank of historical research. Moreover, physical historical materials can revise the history books and distinguish the authenticity of documents.
Due to the long history and social unrest, many ancient books in China have been lost, and many records in documents and materials cannot be verified, and many mistakes and omissions cannot be corrected and made up, leaving many historical mysteries. Many of these mysteries can only be solved through physical historical materials.
Categories of historical documents:
(1) Thought or academic works: reflecting people's thoughts, concepts and academic development at that time. For example, people's thoughts in the Warring States period can be seen from Mencius, and ancient medicine and human body in China can be learned from Huangdi Neijing. Confucian classics in the Qing Dynasty reflected the political and social thoughts and problems of the people in the Qing Dynasty.
(2) Literary works: Although the contents of literary works are fictional, they can often reflect people's lives, thoughts and concepts at that time, and contribute to the study of cultural history, ideological history and social life history. For example, we can see people's thoughts and life in the Six Dynasties from Shi Shuo Xin Yu, people's thoughts and life in the Yuan Dynasty from Yuan Zaju, and people's culture and life in the late Ming Dynasty from Jin Ping Mei.
(3) Newspapers and magazines: Ordinary newspapers, as important historical materials of modern history, can help to understand the development of some events and people's understanding of things from different angles, while entertaining newspapers can observe people's culture and life at that time.
(4) Handwritten heritage in daily life: including ancient farmers' calendars, account books of shops, land contracts, private letters, etc. Because most of these things are not deliberately handed down, they can often reflect the actual life and thoughts at that time more truly.
Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Historical Materials