What is the foundation. History. Folklore. Scientific research

What is the foundation in the historical context? The study of history already in itself implies the fact that we are trying to look into the origins of an event. The question of what such a foundation is, we can often ask ourselves during the period Studying literally any historical process. The object of this study can be anything: cities, states, royal dynasties, public services or even individual buildings. Everything has its beginning and the prerequisites for creation. However, with respect to significant structures created by human hands, such a start is usually referred to as the basis. This is due, first of all, to the fact that to create such a structure (here and further as an example this will be a city) there is little one-time act. It also requires its development and approval. And only the formal moment of creation, provoked by man, is called the foundation.

What is the foundation? Folklore legends

Moreover, such a foundation of cities can have its own characteristics. So, in the case of many ancient and medieval cities, the documented history of their original existence is lost. And their foundation is described only by beautiful legends. Sparta, Athens, Babylon, Rome have their patrons, whose name is associated with the beginning of the city. Thus, the foundation of Rome describes the legend of two brothers, Romulus and Remus, who, after their grandfather was removed from the royal throne of Alba Long, were fired along the Tiber River. A basket with children stuck to the shores of the future of Rome. The she-wolf helped the babies survive, which later became the symbol of the city. And later they were found by the shepherd Faustul, who raised children. Adults Romulus and Remus returned to Alba Long and restored justice. And later on, the idea of establishing a new settlement on the banks of the Tiber was fueled. However, a dispute arose between them, which hill is the most suitable for this. In a heated argument, Romulus killed Remus, and after, repent of what he had done, he named the city in honor of his brother.

Many ancient cities have similar stories. According to legend, the birth of Kiev was predicted by Andrew the First-Called, who after sermons in Sinope and Trebizond returned to Rome along the Dnieper and stopped for the night near the hilly coasts, simultaneously predicting that there would be a golden-domed city.

What is the foundation? Scientific research

There are, however, other examples of cities whose history is known for certain. So, the foundation of St. Petersburg had already for a period close to today's day of the new history. At a time when it was already accepted to create cities to mark on the paper their first days, to issue government documents regulating the status of settlements (the construction of a border fortress is Or the city itself) and so on. Therefore, the creation of the same Petersburg has an exact and unquestionable date: it is known that the first stone of the fortress was laid on May 16, 1703. And such a designated date has a lot of cities created during the already existing modern documentation of events and written history. Although it should be clarified that the date of foundation of many cities often lies in the field of local historians' discussions. Again, due to the fact that this basis is not a one-time act. Thus, the beginning of the city of Kharkov has several dates: from the construction of the first stockade of the fortress to the royal decree on conferring rights on the city. The history of the above-mentioned ancient cities is also subject to research. This, however, is a greater area of concern for archaeologists, capable of characterizing the artifacts and the depth of the soil in which they are found, to determine the date of the first settlements to within half a century, and sometimes even decades.