antiquarian
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.6|Ole Worm's [[cabinet of curiosities, from Museum Wormianum, 1655]]
Article
17 sectionsContents
- History
- Antiquarianism in ancient China
- Antiquarianism in ancient Rome
- Medieval and early modern antiquarianism
- 19th–21st centuries
- Terminological distinctions
- Antiquaries and antiquarians
- Antiquaries and historians
- Antiquarians, antiquarian books and antiques
- Pejorative associations
- Antiquarian societies
- London societies
- Other notable societies
- Notable antiquarians
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
thumb|upright=1.6|Ole Worm's [[cabinet of curiosities, from Museum Wormianum, 1655]]
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts. The essence of antiquarianism is a focus on the empirical evidence of the past, and is perhaps best encapsulated in the motto adopted by the 18th-century antiquary Sir Richard Colt Hoare, "We speak from facts, not theory."