@winter@dangerdyke ur forgetting archivists! they’re the ones compiling period sources for future reference, like by historians
or a less reliable source, folk tales, people love retelling stories so by cross referencing various written down versions one can make some basic inferences, just be careful because not all stories are based on actual events and all stories are embellished. unless youve got reasonable archeological evidence its more than likely no more than a curiosity
also genealogy, thats another common source of information because well, its pretty much a requirement for royalty (proving one’s place in the line of succession and such) and for others, its just a fun curiosity, particularly to those related to notable individuals, so not uncommon outside of royalty either
