How We Rate Evidence
Every page says how well supported it is, so you can tell a public record from a legend at a glance.
Primary records exist: an original document, a published text, an official file or a dated report. We link to them. This level says the record exists and what it says, not that every claim in it is true.
Several independent lines of evidence agree, such as excavations, measurements or peer-reviewed studies. Experts still argue about details.
Serious people have done real work and there is real evidence for the idea, but it falls short of proof. We show what supports it, what is missing and who disagrees.
An idea or reading that goes beyond what the evidence shows. We include it because people ask about it, and we mark it so it never gets mixed in with the record.
The page covers something known from myths, scripture or tradition. The texts are real and we quote them, but no independent record shows the events or beings were real.
How a page gets its label
The label describes what the main subject of the page rests on, not how interesting it is. A page is Documented only when the original record is public and linked. We move a page up or down when new evidence appears, and we say so on the page.
Disagree with a label?
Tell us on the corrections page and include the source. Corrections that cite a source are reviewed first.
Updated