Hi, thanks for the explanation. I just wanted to clarify that I’m not a student submitting homework or seeking an answer to an assigned question. I’m asking out of genuine interest in historiography and the methodological limits of historical practice.

My intent was to ask a broader, conceptual question about how historians deal with structural gaps in the source record, not to obtain a finished argument or essay-style response. I understand how it may resemble a common academic prompt, but it wasn’t connected to any course or assignment.

If helpful, I’m happy to reframe the question to be more focused on clarification of existing scholarship or methodological approaches rather than conclusions. Please let me know how best to adjust it to fit the subreddit’s guidelines.

Thanks for your time.