Recently published historical studies give more and more attention to the use
of material evidence. This trend corresponds only apparently to the stance of
19th century-criticism of sources, which assigned a special role to coins,
inscriptions and remains, as they were considered free from ideological
manipulation. Since then, the concept of reliability has been greatly refined,
as a forged text is considered genuine with respect to the author’s intention.
Furthermore, it is now taken for granted that both documents and remains
communicate in explicit or implicit forms the ideology of the society which
generated them. According to Jacques Le Goff the ruling classes or individuals control
memory and oblivion through the endless process of selecting documents, as
memory is one of the ways which ideology acts through. It is through their
representation of the past that the ruling classes justify their present status
and plan their future in a social perspective.
