Consideration of evidence and data in historical science is dominated by textual metaphor: we reconstruct the past on the basis of various incomplete records. I suggest that although textual metaphors are often apt, they also lead philosophers and scientists to think about historical evidence in particular ways, and that other perspectives might be fruitful. Towards this, I explore the notion of natural historical evidence being thought of as ‘ruins’. This has several potential benefits. First, the architectural aspect of the metaphor emphasizes the contingency of historical subjects and the coherency of design-based reconstruction. Second, historical data, like ruins, are co-constructed, involving intimate interaction with materials.

中文翻译：

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记录与废墟：关于遥远过去的隐喻

历史科学中对证据和数据的考量以文本隐喻为主：我们根据各种不完整的记录重建过去。我建议尽管文本隐喻通常很恰当，但它们也会引导哲学家和科学家以特定方式思考历史证据，并且其他观点可能会富有成果。为此，我探讨了将自然历史证据视为“废墟”的概念。这有几个潜在的好处。首先，隐喻的建筑方面强调了历史主体的偶然性和基于设计的重建的连贯性。其次，历史数据像废墟一样，是共同建构的，涉及与材料的亲密互动。