History

Here is a quote excerpted from a book I am reading:

"... In reality, though, the word ['history'] has a more complex meaning, which needs to be clearly appreciated. The raw materials of historical research are not simply the available archeological and textual evidence, but rather the interpretations which scholars deduce from that evidence. History itself is a rhetorical exercise whose success depends on reasonable argumentation. The criterion of acceptance for any historical writing is whether is combines interpretations of evidence into a narrative consistent with our perceptions of the past."